


Trials and Tribulations

by Xenobia



Series: To Serve and Protect [4]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Coming of Age, Drama, Dubious Consent, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Focus on original characters, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mention of Drug Abuse, Multi, Omegaverse, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Sexual Abuse, Romance, Sexual Humor, Sexual Tension, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-12-30 04:22:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 64,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18308102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenobia/pseuds/Xenobia
Summary: Erwin and Levi are the proud parents of four boys; three of which are now grown and finding their own paths in life, and one still a child. Dylan's out on his own with a promising career in law enforcement, but now that the twins are in college and practically legal adults, Levi and Erwin have different challenges to face in guiding them through life. Fortunately, little Alex is still young enough to be mostly manageable. Takes place after "Calibration" in my "To Serve and Protect" series. Omegaverse modern AU setting.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoyed writing the other installments of this series, so I've decided to start uploading what I've written so far of part 4. A lot of readers seemed to like the OC brat pack and I've had requests to write more on them, so here it is!

"Hey Glen. What are you drawing?"

Glen slammed his notebook down as his brother's shadow fell over him. "None of your business." He looked up at Kolby with a scowl. "How many times do I have to tell you to knock first? This is _my_ personal space. I'd appreciate it if you would respect that."

Kolby sighed. He squatted down, and he looked Glen in the eye. "It never used to be like this."

"Things have changed," reminded Glen. "We're not kids anymore, Kolby. We're only three years away from finishing college. I need my space and you need yours."

"It isn't just that," argued Kolby. He frowned at the notebook Glen had so quickly shut on him. "We used to share everything with each other. Now you're secretive, like you don't trust me. You've been moodier than ever these past couple of days too. I just want to help."

Glen dropped his gaze to the notebook. "You can't help. Not with this. We've talked about this before. I still share things with you that I never tell anyone else, but I have to keep some things to myself. It doesn't mean I trust you any less. I just want solitude sometimes. You get it, right?"

For a moment, Kolby didn't look like he got it at all. Then after staring his twin in the eye for several moments, the alpha sighed and nodded. "I understand that you want your privacy. I just wish you'd come out of your room for a little while. You stay in here all the time. when we get home from school, you shut yourself in here. You only come out to eat dinner or go to the bathroom."

Glen clenched his jaw. He felt too hot. He sat up to re-direct the box fan he had on the floor so that it was blowing more directly on him. Both of his parents had already expressed the same concern to him, but they weren't pushy about it. They didn't have the kind of bond with him that his brother had, though. He didn't know how to explain what he was feeling to anyone. He didn't dare tell any of them that he couldn't stop thinking about a certain alpha doctor he'd been seeing for standard checkups. His parents would have a meltdown.

"I'm just not feeling well," he confessed. He could at least tell Kolby a kernel of the truth. "My suppressants aren't doing the job as well as they usually do. I'm overheated all the time and...well, you know."

Kolby's lips thinned. "Yeah. I know. Happens to me too sometimes, but not as bad as what omegas go through without suppressants."

"So do you see now why I'm closing myself up in my room so much? It's embarrassing if I get into a state in front of our parents. I don't even want to think about it happening in front of Nick if him and Dylan are here for a visit while this is still going on."

"I don't blame you." Kolby reached out to brush the smaller twin's pale blond bangs away from his eyes. "You're sweating, and it's pretty cool in here. You feel a little feverish."

"That's part of it," grumbled Glen. "It sucks, but all I can do is try to keep cool and wait it out. It comes in waves. I'll be okay for a little while, then all the sudden it's like someone turned the heater up on high. Then I have the sexual frustration on top of that, and—"

"I get it," Kolby interjected with a blush.

"Hey, you said you wanted me to share more."

"I meant thoughts and feelings," explained Kolby with an uncomfortable chuckle. "Not details about your private bits."

"I didn't go into any details," protested Glen. "If I had, I would have told you how swollen my dick gets and how wet my pants end up with—"

"Gaahh...enough!" Kolby clamped his hands over his ears and got up. "I should have known better."

Glen smirked up at him. "Yeah, you should have. Are we done having our talk?"

"Yes, we're done."

Glen's smirk faded as his brother left his room and shut the door behind him. He sighed, and he opened up the notebook to review the sketch of Gustav he'd drawn. He'd used one of the pictures he had of the man from their Egypt trip as a reference. Glen had no idea what Gustav's body looked like under his clothes, but if he were to venture a guess based on the alpha's build, he was probably smoking hot. He could have drawn a nude of him with generic alpha anatomy as a build, but that didn't feel right to Glen. He didn't want to assign a body to Gustav, so he contented himself with drawing the doctor with clothes on and leaving the rest in mystery.

* * *

Glen had another checkup a week later. His suppressants just weren't working the way they should anymore, which meant he probably needed his prescription adjusted. Hange had warned him that might happen as he matured, and again after having kids if he ever chose to do so. He fully expected to have her as his doctor when he went in for his appointment. She'd always been his reproductive caregiver as well as his father's. Instead, the practitioner that stepped into the examination room was none other than Gustav Eklund. Glen stared up at the handsome alpha as Gustav closed the door, taking brief note of his white lab coat and the stethoscope hanging around his neck.

"Um, I think I was supposed to be seeing Hange today," Glen said, suddenly uncomfortable. His body heat went up again.

"Yes, I know," explained Gustav. He was looking at Glen's medical file, and he glanced up from it to give the young man an apologetic look. "Dr. Zoë isn't here today. She's sick with a cold and asked me to fill in for her. What seems to be the problem, Glen?"

Glen nearly facepalmed. "Oh, man," he muttered under his breath. Aloud, he spoke as evenly as he could manage. "It's not the kind of thing I'd go to see a general doctor about. It's about my suppressants."

"Oh." Gustav set the file down on the counter, and he pulled up the stool. "Why don't you tell me about it? Are you having a bad reaction to them?"

"Not exactly." Glen fought a grimace. He trusted Gustav, but Hange was the only one he usually saw about things like this. "They're just not doing their job lately. I had a mini-heat just the other day and had to skip one of my on campus classes because of it. That isn't the first time, either. It's happening more and more often, and the usual...stuff...I'd do to take care of it isn't helping much."

Gustav looked away, either to spare Glen's dignity or because he too was feeling uncomfortable with the subject. "That's an unfortunately common complaint. We can adjust your prescription, but I'm afraid it's going to take time for the new one to be filled. There's still a process to go through with regulations, though it's gotten easier lately."

Glen sighed. He knew about the "process" all too well. The government still regulated omega suppressants pretty strictly, and though they were no longer outright banned in many cases, the paperwork required to get a prescription was a nightmare.

"I guess I'll just have to make due until then. Don't you have any emergency suppressants you could give me in the meantime? Like some samples or something?"

"I wish I did," apologized the doctor. "We're still waiting on a shipment to come in, though. Your current suppressants will just have to suffice until I can get some emergency doses in or your new prescription is ready; whichever comes first. Is it that bad?"

Glen hesitated to answer that. He saw the alpha's nostrils flare subtly, and he guessed the Gustav could detect his omega scent rising. "It's pretty bad. I can't concentrate a lot of the time. My grades are dropping because of it, and I don't want to fail any classes. My parents invested a lot of money into these courses and I don't want to let them down."

"I understand." Gustav went silent, watching Glen in a thoughtful manner. "Do you...have a boyfriend that could help you with this?"

Glen flushed. "Not a steady one. I don't want the drama right now. I want to get my degree, build my art portfolio and travel as much as possible."

Gustav tilted his head a bit, and he nodded. "I like that."

"You do?" Glen smiled almost hesitantly. "My parents think I'm taking too many risks taking the artist's path. They're not too happy about the traveling part, either."

"Well, some countries are more dangerous than others for women and omegas," reasoned the doctor gently. "I'm sorry it's that way, but it's the truth."

"I know," sighed Glen. "There are some places even I won't go to, but I can't hide my whole life."

"It's good that you're brave in that way," complimented Gustav. "I just hope that you won't let it drive you to recklessness."

Glen didn't respond to that, because in truth, he knew that he was a reckless sort of person. Instead, he decided to touch on another subject. "Can I ask a personal question?"

"Yes. I can't promise to answer, but go ahead."

Glen met the handsome doctor's eyes. It was harder with Gustav than it was with other alphas, simply because of the effect the man had on him. Speaking the thoughts that were on his mind was even more of a challenge.

"What about you? Do you have someone?"

Gustav didn't immediately answer. He watched Glen silently until the omega suffered the urge to squirm, and then he finally spoke. "No. I'm not in a commitment with anyone right now."

Glen badly wanted to take it further and ask the doctor what lead to his divorce with his wife, but he sensed that he'd gotten about as much out of him as he was going to get for now. Maybe part of the reason Gustav was so fascinating to him was because of the mystery surrounding him. Feeling awkward now that he'd brought the inquiry out into the open, Glen wasn't sure what to say next. Gustav spared him.

"Let's run some tests to see what your hormone and PH levels are at. Once we get that done, I can send off for some trial samples so that we can find out which prescription will work best for you."

"You can't just do the tests and put in the prescription?" Glen asked, dismayed.

"I'm sorry, but no. This is your first time to require a change of prescription, isn't it?"

Glen nodded reluctantly.

"Well, you may not remember the process," explained Gustav. "Even if suppressants weren't restricted, we would still need to give you trial versions first. It's necessary in case of adverse reactions. This way we can find the one that's right for you. The difference between pre-restrictions and now is that you'll have to wait longer to get your full prescription, but the diagnosis and sampling process itself hasn't changed."

"So first you've got to run tests on me, then you've got to send off for these samples, then I have to try them all and after that, I'll have to wait _again_ to get the ones that work best?"

Gustav looked sympathetic. "Yes. Again, I'm sorry. I could speak to Doctor Zoë about speeding up the process, if you like. She seems to have the authority and connections to do that."

Glen nodded. "Please. I can't stand much more of this. I don't want to be stuck waiting for months to bring it back under control again."

"I understand," assured Gustav. "I'll do what I can, Glen."

* * *

Glen's appointment with Gustav left him tingling for a while. It was a pretty simple and straightforward examination. There was no prostate or groin examination, thank God. He just checked his vitals, took some blood and urine samples and asked a few questions. The most intimate part was when Gustav felt his glands for swelling. It wasn't too awkward while he was checking his lymph and scent glands around his neck and face, but then he moved on to the armpits, torso and inner thighs. That made Glen blush hard, and he got aroused by the time Gustav finished.

Fortunately the doctor didn't call attention to it, though he surely had to have noticed. Glen supposed it must be fairly common, at least for omega and alpha types with their higher sex drives. He almost asked his father if he ever got excited during medical examinations, but it was too embarrassing. Instead, he hit up his twin brother a couple of days after his appointment. They were tossing the baseball in the front yard, as was still their practice on the weekends, and Glen brought it up as casually as he could.

"Hey Kolby...you ever get sprung when a doctor's feeling around?"

Kolby paused after catching the ball, regarding the smaller blond with mild interest. "You mean when I'm getting a physical?"

Glen shrugged. "Yeah. Or when the doc is just feeling your glands."

"Sometimes." Kolby's lip curled slightly with discomfort. "Usually if it's a female doing it that I think is attractive. I...ahem...even get a little stirred up when Hange does it, and that's awful because she's like our aunt."

"So it isn't just me," sighed Glen with relief.

Kolby smirked at him and tossed the baseball back. "You got a little excited when you went in for your appointment the other day, I take it?"

"Yes." Glen caught the ball and threw it back a little harder than before, making his brother wince when he caught it.

"I wouldn't worry about it," advised Kolby. He tossed the ball back more gently to Glen. "It's pretty normal."

"Embarrassing, though," muttered the younger twin. He chose not to tell his brother that the doctor attending him at the time was Gustav. He wasn't ignorant of the concerns his family had when it came to him expressing attraction to older males. Not that they had any say in it if he ever _did_ start dating someone in a more mature age bracket. He was a legal adult now, though he still had a couple of years to go before he was the legal drinking age.

"Hey Kolby, have you ever wondered why we have to register with the military and can enlist at eighteen, but can't buy a beer until we're twenty-one?"

Kolby caught the ball, and he took a moment to think about it. "As I understand it, having a military ID allows people under twenty-one to buy alcohol. They wave the age restriction if you're in the service, so it's twenty-one only if you're not enlisted."

"Huh. So you're not considered responsible enough to have a drink until then unless you're willing to get shot at. Go figure."

Kolby shrugged. "Something like that. You'd probably never have to worry about getting shot at if you enlisted, though. You wouldn't even be subject to it if there was ever a draft."

Glen frowned. "Right, because omegas aren't allowed on the front lines. They'd come after you before looking at me."

"I considered enlisting voluntarily," confessed the older twin.

Glen blinked at him, and he almost missed catching the ball when Kolby tossed it back. "You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not." Kolby smiled. "I wasn't thinking of doing it for the action, if that's what you think. It was for the travel. Military soldiers get to travel all over the world on the government dime. I was thinking of all the different places I could visit."

"So what's stopping you?" wondered Glen. "They'd have covered your college too if you'd gone that route, I'll bet."

Kolby shook his head. "At the expense of my personal freedom. True, it would have taken away the burden of paying for my education off our folks' shoulders, and I could have seen a lot of countries during my service. I wouldn't have gotten to choose which ones or for how long, though. I don't want to be stuck somewhere far away from my family for longer than I'm willing to. I would have to be at the government's beck and call, too. What if I start a family of my own, also? I don't want to be one of those guys that never gets to see his own kids get born because he's always deployed for duty in another country. Besides, Anthropology and Archeology are my passions. It might be harder for me to get it off the ground as a career without government benefits, but at least I'll get to set my own pace and decide where I go on research expeditions."

Glen nodded in agreement. Kolby's logic made sense, and he wouldn't have liked seeing his twin join the military anyhow. Traveling around on the government's buck might sound like a good deal, but if war ever broke out, his life would be on the line. It still _could_ be, Glen realized. If serious hostility ever did break out with another country, Paradis might implement a heavy draft, waving the exclusion of doctors and public serviceman into it. If that ever happened, both of his brothers might be forced to join the military and go off to war.

"What's that look for?" Kolby asked. "You look like you're listening to a sad country song all the sudden."

Glen shook himself out of it. "Just thinking of how much it would suck to see you, Dylan and our uncle Eren dodging bullets just because you're alphas."

Fortunately, their dad was beyond drafting age. Eren might be as well, but Dylan and Kolby would make prime recruitment material if the government ever decided they absolutely needed more alphas in the ranks.

"Hey, don't worry about that," soothed Kolby. "We have better international relations right now than we've ever had before. The chances of war breaking out in our generation are low, and even if that happens, it would probably be a cold war. Besides, I can always dodge it if they start drafting. I'll just have to move north or south of the border for a while."

"Not funny," muttered Glen. "What good will that do when you don't want to live far away from our family? At least you wouldn't have to be shot at, but still, it would suck ass."

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood, imp. I don't like you getting morose over things that probably won't even happen. Let's talk about something else, okay?"

Glen sighed. "Fine. Want to go to the music fest this weekend? It'll be our last chance to really cut loose before classes get into full swing and we'll be too busy studying to do much else."

"Yeah, but are you sure you're okay to go with your pheromones fluctuating like they are?" Kolby appeared concerned. "It's going to be pretty warm, and we'll have to camp out if we're going to do the event right."

Glen shrugged. It wasn't quite fall yet, and his brother was right about the temperatures. "My doctor's working on getting me a new suppressant subscription. I've got to try a couple of trial versions first to see how I go, but once we find a match I should have everything back under control again."

Kolby raised a brow. "Is that going to happen by this weekend? Sounds like it's going to take some time."

"Probably not," admitted Glen with a sigh. "I'm not going to let it ruin my last free weekend, though. I'll just have to take what I've got and manage as best I can."

Kolby said no more about it, but Glen could sense his quiet doubt. He was used to his family worrying about him now; particularly the alphas. As annoying as it could be, Glen had made a conscious decision not to hold it against them. It was just in their nature to be protective, and he couldn't keep faulting them for it if he didn't want to drive himself crazy.

* * *

"We'll be back by Sunday night or Monday morning, depending on how late the festival runs," explained Kolby to their parents. "It might be too packed to get out at a decent hour Sunday night, so we might stay an extra night to let the crowds thin out."

"As long as you can make it to your first class of the day, that's fine," Erwin told them. His sharp blue gaze went to Glen, who was just finishing up with a final check of his bags. "You have your prescriptions?"

"I've got them, Dad. They're right here in my backpack."

"You may want to ensure they stay there," suggested Erwin. "Things can go missing at these festivals if you don't secure your belongings."

Understanding the hint that he feared someone might steal from them, Glen twirled the keys to the hatchback coupe they'd be taking. It was Levi's old car. Rather than simply giving the twins a car, he'd sold it to them for a fraction of the price it was worth. The twins shared it, having gone in halves on it.

"Don't worry. We're going to set up our camp by the car and keep our bags locked in it. Nobody will get to our stuff."

"Good. Make sure you have enough water. Do you need to borrow a little extra to pick up some groceries on the way?"

Unsurprised by their dad's offer to pitch in, Glen smiled up at him. "We've got it covered. It's only a couple of days, Dad. We don't need that much."

"You guys are going away again?"

The question grabbed both twins' attention as Alex came into the living room and saw the packed bags. Glen approached their little brother, bent over and picked him up with a grunt of effort. It wouldn't be long before Alex was too big for him to handle this way. He was shooting up like a sprout, and he would probably be taller than Glen before he even made it to puberty. Not that surpassing him in height was a particular challenge. Glen was as diminutive in size as their father.

"Just for a couple of days, runt. It won't be for two weeks like the last time, okay?"

Alex pouted. "You're always going away."

Levi came out of the kitchen, and upon hearing the complaint, he admonished the boy. "Don't whine, Alexander. Your brothers can't spend all of their free time playing with you. When you get to be their age, you'll get it."

"Can't I come with?"

"We'd love to take you," said Kolby gently, "but this isn't the kind of event for small kids. It's going to be loud and hot and crowded. I don't think you'd have any fun."

"Then why are _you_ going?" pressed Alex. "If it's not gonna be any fun?"

"Uh, it's fun for people our age," excused Kolby. "Look, I'll tell you what; when the holiday break comes up and we've all got time out of school, we can have a special camping trip. Just us brothers. Maybe Dylan can get time off to come too. Would you like that? Dad, Papa, would that be okay with you?"

Levi and Erwin glanced at each other, and the smaller male gave a nod. "Sure. Just a couple of days though, and it has to be at approved camping grounds. No serious 'roughing it' with your little brother."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Glen lowered his brother to the floor, and then he slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Besides, it'll give you and Dad time alone together to do all that nasty stuff you two like to get up to together."

Levi gave him a rough nudge in response to the observation. "Get out of here, brat."

* * *

They arrived at the music festival, and of course, Penny was with them. As soon as they got their spot picked out and pitched the tents, Glen changed into his chosen outfit for the first day of the festival. It wasn't anything particularly special; just a pair of cut-off shorts and a sleeveless, deep purple shirt with a colorful but lewd word stamped across the front. The shirt had a low neckline that exposed the top part of his chest, and the shorts were...well...short. He'd deliberately waited until they got there to put the outfit on, imagining that his dad wouldn't approve of it. Erwin probably wouldn't have made a scene about it, but Glen simply didn't feel like suffering the quiet horror that would likely manifest on Erwin's face.

He wondered if he would ever be old enough to stop worrying about what his parents thought of his attire.

"Hey Glen, catch!"

He turned in time to see a shiny can arching through the air at him, and he just barely managed to catch it before it would have hit him in the face. He was about to snap at Penny for trying to knock him out, but then he realized that the beverage she'd tossed was a can of sour, alcoholic apple cider.

"Hey, thanks," he said, revising his intended response. "Where'd you pick this up?"

"Believe it or not, my mom bought it for us." She smirked, handed one over to Kolby and then took a seat on the cooler to pop open her own can. "We've got a twelve pack of these and another twelve of Bud. Make it last and don't go crazy with it."

Kolby eyeballed his cider. Unlike Glen, he hadn't yet experimented with alcohol except to have a glass of wine at last year's Christmas dinner. "So your mother, the ex-cop, bought this for us knowing that we'd be here all weekend without supervision?"

Penny had a sip of her drink, and she nodded. "I guess she trusts us to drink responsibly. She told me to consider it a test. If I let her down, this will be a one-time deal. Oh, and she also said to let her handle your folks, so I guess she plans on telling Levi and Erwin that she supplied us."

"That's not a good idea," predicted Kolby with a grimace.

"Sure it is," argued Glen. He took a couple of swallows, smacked his lips in appreciation and examined the can in his hand. "Go Nanaba. Your mom's the coolest, Penny."

"She's going to end up being the 'deadest'," warned Kolby. "What do you think Papa's reaction is going to be when he finds out about this? Dad might be more understanding, but you know how Papa feels about substances."

"Hey, two twelve packs between the three of us isn't a lot," Glen countered. "That's only four drinks each if we split it evenly. How wasted do you think we're going to get on that?"

"Mom's reasoning is that there's going to be alcohol here anyway and we're probably going to get our hands on some before we leave," Penny explained with a shrug. "Part of the deal was that we don't accept any open drinks from anyone, don't leave ours unattended and stay away from drugs. I think that's fair enough, don't you?"

"Well yeah, but what does your dad think about it?" Kolby asked.

"He was a little hard to convince, but he agreed in the end. He's got Mom's back when they talk to your parents about it. Do you really think Levi will have a huge meltdown?"

"He's not going to give them a prize and name them parents of the year," predicted Kolby.

"Ah, Kolby," Glen said, finally deciding to reveal a little secret of his own, now that they were on the subject, "check out the spare cooler in the trunk."

Kolby tilted his head in puzzlement, and when Glen gestured encouragingly, he took up the keys and opened the back hatch of the car to see what he was talking about. "What the hell?" he exclaimed after opening up the cooler in question. "There's beer in here, too. Glen, did you make that fake ID you talked about after all? When did you sneak these in here?"

Kolby grinned like the cat that swallowed the canary. "It wasn't me."

* * *

Mike and Nanaba showed up at the Smith house to have lunch with their friends, and they parted with an unwelcomed confession once the meal was over and Alex was outside playing on the swing set.

"You did what again?" Levi asked, staring between the two of them with narrowed eyes. "Strange, I could have sworn you just told me that you supplied alcohol to our underage kids."

"They aren't minors," corrected Nanaba calmly. "They're in college now, and it would be naive of us to assume they won't find a way to imbibe when they go to events like this. I can't speak for everyone, but I remember when I was that age, and there was always someone willing to buy for us when me and my friends went out on the weekends."

"So you just decided to be that person." Levi's anger was apparent in every syllable he spoke. His words snapped like a whip, and even brave Nanaba cringed under them.

"I wanted to ensure their safety."

"By getting them drunk at a music festival?" demanded Levi. "A place where there's bound to be plenty of guys, both alpha and beta, just looking for a passed out conquest to take advantage of? Great fucking plan, Nabs."

"Levi, calm down," advised Erwin. "Think of her logic. Isn't it better for the kids to have their own than to get it from people they don't know? Someone that might lace it, for example?"

Levi sputtered into silence. Those old, painful memories came back to him. Drinking a laced beverage was how he ended up...

"You went behind my back," he finally said, "and you told me only after they left, so I can't do a damned thing about it, short of showing up at that festival and taking the booze from them. That's a really shitty position you've put us in. As our friends, you should have had the balls to speak with us about it first. Maybe I'd have gone for it, but it's my right as a fucking parent to decide whether I condone my boys drinking alcohol or not."

"I don't condone it," Mike corrected in a low voice. He shrugged when his wife looked at him. "Sorry, but I don't."

"But you agreed to it."

"Only because in this case, I think you're right. The kids would have gotten it from another source if they really wanted to. I went with the lesser of two evils, but I don't want Penny thinking she can booze it up whenever she wants to."

"You really are whipped, aren't you?" accused Levi, glaring up at the towering blond alpha. "If you'd have just found your spine and stood your ground, this wouldn't have happened."

Erwin bore the look of a man that was awaiting his execution, suddenly. Levi frowned up at him suspiciously. "What? Why are you looking like a dog facing a rolled up newspaper, all the sudden? Did you know about this before I did?"

Erwin sighed, and he turned Levi around to face him. He got down on bended knee as though getting ready to propose marriage, and he held both of Levi's hands in his larger ones. "I'm afraid our friends aren't the only ones that owe you an apology, love. I owe you one as well. No, I had no idea they did this, but I'm just as guilty of going behind your back."

Dread twisted Levi's stomach. "What did you do, Erwin? You're using pretty words, and that usually means you're trying to get out of trouble with me or get me to do something I normally wouldn't."

Mike and Nanaba looked equally curious, and Erwin hesitated. Levi could practically hear the gears whirring in his head as the blond chose his next words with infinite care.

"I...also contributed to their alcohol supply," he said at last. "It's only a twelve pack, which I thought was reasonable for two days between three people. If I'd known that Nanaba had the same idea as me, I wouldn't have done it."

Levi's jaw went slack. "So our kids are out there at a rock fest in the middle of the woods with not one, not two, but _three_ twelve packs of booze? And Glen's having problems keeping his heats leveled out, and he's going to be surrounded by horny alphas."

"I know—"

"No you don't." Levi yanked his hands out of Erwin's and stepped back, incidentally stepping on Nanaba's foot. She jumped away to avoid a reoccurrence as Levi directed his ire at his mate. "What do you think is going to happen when a kid Glen's size has one too many and starts putting off mating pheromones for every alpha in the area to get a whiff of? His brother can't shadow him the whole time they're there. Glen could get separated from him and Penny and end up helpless and cornered. You _know_ what heats do to omegas, you big fucking idiot!"

Erwin took the verbal punishment stoically, at least on the outside. Levi could feel his regret through the link as clear as day, though. When the alpha spoke again, his voice was faintly tighter, and his anxiety increased to match Levi's.

"I'll go," Erwin said. "I'll go to the festival myself and check in on them. It was an error in judgment, Levi. I didn't know there was more beer than I contributed."

"It's our fault," Nanaba pacified. "We should have said something. Don't put all the blame on Erwin. He just had the same idea as me and obviously, there should have been more communication."

"You're damned right it's your fault," Levi agreed. He sighed helplessly, combed his fingers through his hair and brought his anger carefully to heel. "But you had good intentions."

Erwin got to his feet. "I'll go right now—"

"No, you won't," decided Levi firmly. "It's too late. If we show up and take back what you and Nanaba already gave to them, we'll humiliate them. What you two have done is make a gesture of trust. You can't show up and say: _'Oi kids, I was just kidding. Sorry I made you think I trusted you to be responsible. I was just fucking with you.'_ See the problem, genius?"

Erwin winced visibly. "Yes, but what else would you have me do? How can I fix this, Levi?"

Levi shook his head. "It's not up to you, now. It's up to the brats. I'll reserve punishment according to the crime. If they come home without hangovers and nothing goes wrong, I'll let you off the hook this one time. If Glen ends up getting gang-banged, you're a dead man."

"I'm sure that won't happen," reasoned Erwin. He didn't sound entirely convinced himself, now.

"We'll just see. In the meantime, you can take the couch or sleep in one of the boys' rooms. I'm so pissed off at you I can't promise I won't neuter you in your sleep if you're lying next to me right now."

With that said, Levi exited the dining room and collected his car keys. He wasn't sure where he intended to go; he just needed to get away from the house and the temptation to beat the shit out of his friends and his husband. Maybe Dylan could meet up with him somewhere and lend him an ear to vent to.

"I'm so sorry, Erwin," Nanaba mouthed to the blond as Levi took his leave.

"No, I'm just as much at fault," answered Erwin, watching his omega's retreat with remorseful eyes. "I should have known better."

"I think marriage is always a work in progress," stated Mike. "Nobody ever communicates perfectly, even after being together for years."

"Yes, but this was a particularly foolish decision on my part, given Levi's past and his aversion to substance abuse."

Nanaba patted the former police chief on the shoulder sympathetically. "I should have considered that as well. Levi loves you too much to let this poison your relationship, though. Just give him time. I think the kids will be okay. Kolby will see to it."

Erwin nodded, trying to take comfort in her words.

* * *

"Read the note, moron," Glen suggested when Kolby just stared between him and the extra beer with perplexity. "It's on the box."

Kolby found the sticky note attached to the case of beer, and he pulled it off to look at it. In their dad's handwriting, there was a message.

_"Kids, enjoy your weekend and use this responsibly. I haven't told your father. I'm trusting you both to practice moderation and stay out of trouble. Please don't make me regret it."_

Kolby flipped the paper over to see if there was anything else written on it. Finding nothing, he turned around to face his two companions. "He is going to be so dead."

"Why?" Glen kicked back in the lawn chair he'd set up on top of the blanket covering their camping spot. The shade structure they'd also set up fluttered a little with a warm breeze that blew in. "Papa doesn't even know about it."

"How long do you think that's going to last when Penny's parents confess? Dad's going to get dragged into it, or maybe this is something the three of them planned together and they think safety in numbers will spare them. Penny, did your parents mention anything about my dad being in on this?"

"No. Like I said: Mom told me to let her handle your parents. To me, that sounds like she didn't know Erwin was giving us beer too. Then again, she might have just meant she would handle Levi. I'm not sure. Maybe I should text her to clear it up."

"I think you'd better," suggested Kolby, "and I think you should tell her not to say anything like she plans. This could really turn into a disaster."

"You don't think Levi would hurt my mom, do you?" Penny looked worried at the prospect.

"No way," insisted Glen. "He wouldn't hit a woman."

"He's hit Aunt Mikasa before," Kolby pointed out ominously.

Glen faltered, and he bit his lip. "When they're sparring, yeah. That's different."

"Dylan said they've punched each other out of anger before. Maybe he won't do the same with Nanaba since she isn't family, but I wouldn't risk it."

"I'm texting my mom," decided Penny. She got up off the cooler and got her phone out.

"Don't you think you're both being a little paranoid?" While Glen was feeling worried himself now, he didn't think his father would react as violently as they were expecting. After all, Levi had encouraged him to explore his sexuality, understanding how restrictive the world could be with omegas. The one thing he'd always asked was that he practice safety and responsibility, so surely it would be the same in this instance.

"I think when it comes to your father, it's better to be safe than sorry," Penny told him as she fiddled with her phone. "Levi is the only omega I know that my dad is actually scared of."

She had a good point, Glen had to admit. Levi's surly demeanor often hid what a big, caring heart he had, but when he got angry he could scorch someone alive with just a glare. He watched and waited while Penny sent her text, and after a moment, he heard her phone beep with a response.

"She's already told them," sighed Penny. "We're too late."

"Is everything okay?" pressed Kolby. "Is my dad still in one piece?"

"Just a minute." Penny frowned at the words popping up on her screen. "Levi didn't hit anyone. I guess Erwin had the same idea as her, but neither of them told each other they were buying us alcohol until Mom confessed to it at lunch. Your father's really angry, but he didn't get physical. He left to blow off some steam."

Penny looked up at her boyfriend, and she smiled in relief. "Mom says to enjoy the weekend. You guys shouldn't be in any trouble when you get back home. Your dad's taking the brunt of it."

"Why would we have been in trouble anyway?" Glen reasoned. "We didn't buy the alcohol."

"Yeah, but we're drinking it." Kolby looked at his half-finished can with a frown. "Now I feel bad."

"Don't," advised Glen. He brushed his bangs back from his forehead, and his earrings glinted in the afternoon sunlight. "Neither of us asked for beer. I didn't know Dad slipped us any until I went to put the lunch meat we picked up into the cooler. He wanted to treat us and so did Mrs. Zacharius. It was their choice. Papa will get over it. I'm sure Dad will sex him up or something and—"

"I don't want to talk about that," interrupted Kolby with distaste. "Why do you always have to bring it up?"

"Because unlike some people, I'm not going to pretend my parents don't have sex. Yeah it bothers me sometimes when I can hear what they're up to, but I've learned to get over it. You should, too."

"Your attitude about that has changed," Penny remarked with a little grin. "You used to make gagging noises every time they kissed."

"When I was a kid, yeah." Glen shrugged. "Papa was right about one thing; now that I'm older, I understand."

In fact, Glen probably understood even better than his brother, now. He kept scoping the area unconsciously, checking out the alphas that passed by and making mental notes about which ones he might be interested in talking to. Maybe he'd even find a new romantic interest during this festival, someone closer to his age that wouldn't cause drama for him to date.

He envied his brother and Penny for their relationship, even though Glen had turned down plenty of opportunities for a steady boyfriend. He just had high standards, he supposed. If they didn't make his heart race and his body tingle with a glance, they didn't make the cut. Too bad only one guy thus far had passed that test.

* * *

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

Glen got a hefty buzz that night before deciding to cut himself off. It hit him faster than expected due to the heat. He'd drank more than he realized, and when he nearly lost his balance and fell while dancing to the music of one of the performing bands, he knew he'd had enough. His limbs felt a little rubbery, and there was a pleasant hum in his ears.

He'd met an attractive young alpha who gave his name as Brett, and they hit it off and hung out together all day and night. The guy had dark auburn hair and greenish-blue eyes. Like most alphas, he towered over Glen, but he wasn't built as solidly as some. Eventually their discussion evolved from casual talk about music, food and society to more personal subjects. The conversation they were currently having was hard to keep up with, because they had to basically yell at each other over the volume of the music.

"Where are you from?" asked Brett.

"Here," answered Glen. "I'm a native. You?"

"I'm from Trost. I've spent this summer following the music fests around the country. So far, this is the best one I've seen."

"Cool." In truth though, Glen wasn't so sure how "cool" he found that. How did the guy make money if he spent all of his time at festivals? Mildly curious, he asked some questions. "Do you live in the city? I've been to Trost a couple of times, mostly just passing through with my family."

"Sometimes," answered Brett. "I don't really have a place I'm settled in right now. I've got a van I sleep in and I stay with friends now and then."

"Oh." The idea of such a nomad lifestyle should have appealed to Glen on some level. After all, he wanted to travel the world with his brother for a while, and he did like to camp. Something about living out of a van and bumming couch space from people didn't really impress him, though. This guy had to be in his mid-twenties, and by that age, he should have a place of his own even if it was just an efficiency flat or a studio.

"Pfft, I'm a snob."

"What was that?"

Glen looked at the alpha, and he brushed it off. He was there to have a good time, not look for a future mate. Brett was fun enough to hang out with, cute enough to fool around with a little if it came to that. How he lived didn't matter. They'd probably never see each other again after the weekend.

"I said I like this song," fibbed Glen. He smiled, and he brushed up against the taller male experimentally, half-swaying and half gyrating to the rhythm and melody. Brett responded as anticipated, putting an arm around him and pressing closer. He leaned in to speak into Glen's ear, raising his voice enough to be heard without screaming into it.

"I think you're really sexy."

Glen smiled, and unbidden, an image of his doctor popped into his mind. He started fantasizing that it was Gustav pressed so intimately against him. If Brett' hair were a bit darker and brushed back, if his eyes were brown instead of blue, he might pass as a reasonable stand-in for the handsome doctor. Not quite as built, but nice enough on the eyes.

Glen went with it, figuring there was no harm in pretending. He felt a telling bulge rubbing against his backside when the taller male embraced him from behind. Glen tilted his head to the side and let his eyelids droop when he felt the alpha's warm lips caressing his neck. He gave a little start when he felt the nip of teeth, and his body heat started to escalate. He could smell his own pheromones originating from the spot where Brett had playfully nipped his throat. He must have stimulated the scent gland when he'd pinched the spot with his teeth.

Glen wasn't even aware that he was starting to simulate sex with this alpha. He rubbed back against him, fully picturing a different man in his mind's eye. He was swelling in his shorts, and the friction was compelling, even as the restriction started getting uncomfortable. His breath quickened, and he arched back against his companion when Brett boldly slipped his hands under his shirt to stroke his belly and chest.

Glen couldn't hear the soft moan that vibrated in his throat. He faintly detected a telling, pungent aroma coming off from the left, and he realized distantly that someone had fired up some weed. Someone next to him tried to pass the smoking joint to him, saw that he was preoccupied and then giggled and passed it to the guy on Glen and Brett' other side.

Where was his brother? Glen realized that he hadn't seen Kolby or Penny for a while. They'd gone to get some water the last time he'd seen them. Maybe they went to their tent to fool around. Some part of him thought he should try to find them soon, if only for the sake of everyone knowing where each other was. He hadn't moved far from his original spot though, so he wasn't terribly worried.

Thumbs and forefingers squeezed both of his nipples gently, rolling them between the pads. Glen whimpered at the sensation, and his groin throbbed hard. Alphas loved to go for his nipples for some reason, and he had to admit that it felt really good when they played with them. His breath started hitching, and he felt dampness forming in his underwear. This guy was really turning him on, and Glen couldn't be sure if it was just pent up sexual frustration, another wave of hormones or if it was because he was pretending these were Gustav's hands on his body.

"Let's find somewhere private," suggested Brett huskily, nibbling Glen's ear.

Glen went still, pulled away a bit and turned around to regard the alpha.

"I won't take it further than you want," vowed Brett. "I just want to be alone with you for a while."

Glen swallowed. Part of his daze faded upon looking at the young man and being reminded that this was not his attractive doctor. This was a stranger to him. All he knew about him was that he liked music and lived mostly on the move. He could be dangerous. He could try to drag Glen off somewhere and violate him, or even kidnap him.

He could also give him an orgasm, though.

"Okay," he agreed. "Do you have any protection? Not saying it'll go that far, but..."

"Yeah," said the alpha with an excited nod. "I've got protection."

"Then let's go."

* * *

Glen had no conscious intention of letting it go further than making out, but once he and Brett were in the guy's van together, things escalated quickly. Over the clothes petting soon became under the clothes, and before long they had Brett' shirt unbuttoned and Glen's off completely. He straddled the alpha, taking advantage of the darkness within the van to let his imagination run wild. It was easy for him to let himself fall into the fantasy that he was with Gustav Eklund. He went with it, buzzed and overheated with omega needs.

He wasn't sure how things advanced so quickly. His alpha companion's mouth stayed locked with Glen's, his tongue thrusting urgently. They rolled together over the floor of the back of the van. Brett had the seats put down and stashed beneath in the compartments under the floor, leaving only the driver and front passenger seats up. He had an air mattress spread over the floor, which provided some cushioning.

Glen gave a jerk when his shorts came undone, and he started to grab Brett' wrist when the alpha worked his erection free.

"I just want to touch you, baby," urged the other male. "Just want to rub it a little. It's okay."

Glen swallowed. He'd let other guys do it before, of course. He'd never let it go this far with someone he'd just met, though. His head was swimming, and his desire was making it hard for him to think clearly. He relaxed his hold on the alpha's wrist. He caught his lower lip in his teeth and bucked his hips impulsively as Brett' hand curled around his length and began to stroke it.

"Feels good, right?"

Glen nodded, cracking his eyes open to look up at the shadowed face hovering above his. He took his hand off of the alpha's, and he started undoing Brett' blue jeans. A swift stab of determination shot through him. All of his friends had done it by now. He was sure his brother had, too. Glen wanted to see what the big deal was, instead of holding back all the time for something insubstantial, something he didn't even know if he wanted.

It was just sex.

"You said...you have something for protection?" Glen asked of his companion, having to raise his voice a little to be heard over the music and sounds of revelry outside the van.

"Yeah." Brett nodded, pausing in his groping to dig through a satchel lying to the left of the mattress. "Just a second. Alpha condoms. I've got lube, too."

Glen nodded, and he shut his eyes again and waited. He understood the mechanics. He knew about positions, and he knew where everything was going to go. It wasn't anything special. His urges were roused, but he wasn't in heat. He had no connection to this guy, didn't feel any spark that might lead to something unintended. They were just exchanging sexual pleasure. Nothing more.

"You sure about this?" asked Brett.

"Yeah, I'm...sure."

Glen opened his eyes again to look at him. He wished he hadn't. A flash of light from one of the stage fixtures illuminated Brett' features, reminding Glen of reality. He wasn't Gustav. He was just some moderately cute guy in a van. Still, it was better than jerking off at night, wondering what it would be like to have someone inside of him, to feel that unique anatomy of an alpha's dick filling him up. Glen could smell the rutting pheromones coming from Brett. It smelled faintly pungent to him, kind of like weed. Maybe someone was just smoking a joint near the van and he was confusing where the odor was coming from.

Glen lifted up on his elbows, breathing heavily. He was sweating...aching. His ass was throbbing, and he shimmied out of his shorts and undies as his companion got out a packet of condoms and ripped one of them open. Brett paused to look at him, his gaze raking over the disheveled omega.

"You are the hottest omega here. Look how hard you've made me."

Glen looked, and he swallowed when he saw the size of the cock exposed to him. "Put the condom on," he said. For some reason, he made no move to touch it, to explore it. He couldn't understand why. He opened his arms to Brett when the alpha slid the condom on and rejoined him. This was it. He was finally getting tapped.

* * *

Kolby was looking all over the place for his brother, and so was Penny. They asked people left and right if they'd seen anyone matching Glen's description, but they weren't coming up with any leads. Kolby swore once they made it back to camp and still didn't find any sign of Glen.

"He's still not responding to texts," Penny announced after trying for perhaps the fifth time. "Can we use his cell to track him? That app we set up while we were in Egypt in case we got separated."

"I haven't updated mine since we got back, and neither has Glen." Kolby scrubbed his fingers through his short-trimmed hair, and he looked around helplessly. "I'm going to have to go to security if we don't find him soon, Penny."

"I know," she answered, equally frustrated and worried. "We should have checked in with him before going to check out the art tents."

"Let's just double-back," suggested Kolby after some thought. "Glen might have made his way there himself, and we just missed him. There's no way he'd miss the artwork here. It could be that he's just caught up in checking it out, or he just hasn't been able to hear his phone going off with all the noise. Let's try there next."

"Okay," sighed Penny. "I hope you're right and he's there."

* * *

Glen staggered away from the van he'd been in. Brett was passed out, having fallen into a blissful sex coma after their encounter. Glen was unable to sleep, and the experience had sobered him up enough for him to remember that his camping companions would probably be looking for him by now. He checked the time when he got out of the bus, glancing at his phone. He winced when he realized how long he'd been with Brett and saw all of the messages from both Kolby and Penny.

"Great," he mumbled. The bands quit playing about an hour ago. Most people had retired to their respective camps. There were a few stragglers here and there, but nobody that Glen recognized. He winced again as he made his way back to his own camp, going by memory and getting turned around a couple of times before finally locating it.

His brother was standing in the center of the camp, next to the car. He was talking to a couple of park rangers. He must have gone to them for help when he couldn't find Glen.

"Hey, it's okay," Glen called. He stepped into the light provided by the lantern hanging from their shade structure, and he tried his best to look calm and collected when all eyes turned to him. "I passed out under the stage. Sorry; I just woke up a minute ago."

"Is this your missing brother?" asked one of the rangers, looking Glen up and down before addressing Kolby.

Kolby jogged over to Glen and caught him up in a relieved hug. "Yes. We looked all over for him. Shit, Glen...we've been trying to find you for hours!"

"Just a moment," said the female ranger. "Step aside for a minute, Mr. Smith."

Glen grimaced when his brother released him, and he tried not to stand too gingerly. The woman in uniform had dark blonde hair, and she looked him over with her flashlight. Her blue-gray eyes were thoughtful beneath the brim of her uniform hat.

"What kind of substances did you take, sir? Do you need medical attention?"

Glen felt a small rush of panic. He couldn't tell them he'd been drinking, even if that was expected of festival-goers. If they asked for his ID, he'd be popped for underage alcohol consumption. He couldn't say he'd taken a hit off a joint or any other illegal substance, either, and he sure as hell wasn't about to 'fess up and tell them he'd actually been in a van getting pounded in the ass by some guy he barely knew. He had to come up with _some_ excuse why he'd allegedly passed out under the stage, though. Most people simply wouldn't do that with such noisy surroundings, unless something was wrong with them or they were wasted.

"I didn't take anything," Glen said, improvising. "I did have a drink someone offered to me because it was hot and I was thirsty. I guess the heat just got to me. Sorry bro, I didn't mean to scare you guys. I didn't hear your texts or calls going off."

If anything, the ranger woman looked more concerned, and she exchanged a glance with her male companion. She then turned back to Glen, and her expression was dead-serious. "You consumed a drink someone else offered to you? Do you remember what happened before you passed out? Were you alone? Anything missing? Clothing articles, your phone, your wallet?"

"Nobody robbed me, if that's what you mean," Glen assured her. "I just wandered over behind the stage, saw a spot underneath and curled up out of the sun. It was dark when I woke up."

"So nobody followed you that you can recall?"

He shook his head. "No ma'am."

"Are you...sore anywhere? Feeling any tenderness that you can't account for?"

At once, Glen understood what she was so delicately trying to imply. He flushed. Her concern that he'd been taken advantage of wasn't completely off the mark, but he wasn't about to make accusations against the alpha he'd met over their little tryst. Bad outcome or not, buzzed and overworked as he'd been, it had been entirely consensual.

"I'm okay. I mean, my hip is sore because of the position I crashed in—" he thought that was a decent excuse for his slight hobble, "—but nothing else."

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "We can take you to the medical building on the grounds if you need to be examined."

Shit, she was pushing for a rape kit. Glen knew enough about law enforcement protocol to figure it out. "There's no need for that. Nothing happened, and I'd know it if it did. Sorry to waste your time."

The rangers looked at one another, shrugged in unison and decided to leave it at that. "All right," said the male. "We're glad you're okay. It's easy to get dehydrated at these functions if you aren't careful. From now on, try to make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids, and you might want to stick closer to your camp mates."

Glen nodded. "Got it. Thank you."

He waited until they were gone, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. Kolby was watching him with a blend of relief and annoyance, and Glen shrugged and spread his hands. "What else can I say? I didn't plan on this. I came back as soon as I got to my senses."

"Is what you told them true?" Kolby asked him. "Did you really just pass out under the stage, or did something else happen? You're moving pretty stiffly, imp."

Glen felt trapped. If he revealed the truth to his brother, he wouldn't get a moment's peace for the rest of the festival and Kolby would probably demand to know who Brett was. He'd probably try to track him down and beat the shit out of him, too. He felt like he had no choice but to perpetuate the lie he'd just told to the rangers, at least while they were there at the festival.

"Like I said: I slept in an awkward, cramped up position. I'll be fine. Where's Penny?"

"Out asking around for you," answered the older twin. "I'll text her and let her know you're back and what happened."

"Okay. I'm going to change out of these clothes and lay down in my tent. See you guys in the morning."

"Wait, have you eaten anything?" Kolby stalled, the concern coming back to his voice.

"I'll have one of the sandwiches we made before I go to sleep," promised Glen. "I'm too tired to worry about getting the grill going and cooking something on it tonight."

"All right," answered his brother reluctantly, letting the matter go. "Goodnight, Glen."

* * *

Glen treated his ailments as well as he could after stripping out of his clothes and packing them into the dirty laundry bag. He paused when he saw the condition of his underwear in the dim lantern light in his tent, and he grimaced. He didn't have the means with him to get out blood. There wasn't much of it; just a smear and a couple of spots. Still, if he brought the garment home this way, he ran the risk of one or both of his parents might see the stains and questioning him about it. Seeing as he and Kolby were both in college and had a rather busy schedule, Levi did most of their laundry.

Deciding it was better to just toss them and be done with it, he transferred the soiled underwear to the trash bag he was keeping in his tent for personal disposal. He then got out a clean washcloth and a small bucket for "bum baths" during their stay. They had solar shower bags they could use in the shower structure not far from their campsite, but now Glen balked at the thought of using that option.

He didn't care before if someone snuck a peek at him while he was showering in there, but now he felt vulnerable. He felt like it must be obvious to anyone that saw him in the nude that he'd been fucked. His ass certainly felt different now, stretched inside, sore and enflamed.

He was ashamed, he realized. Ashamed of himself for holding off for this long, only to give it up to some stranger on a whim. Logically, he knew he wouldn't remain a virgin forever and he owned his sexuality as much as anyone else, but there was a social stigma attached to one-night stands regardless of who participated in it.

He thought doing it would make him feel complete, make him feel like he'd made the last step into adulthood and could get that final bit of closure. Relationships could come later. He didn't think it would be a big deal, but he didn't expect it to _hurt_ as much as it had, either. It left Glen wondering why in the hell his father was so receptive to sex with his dad, if it always hurt that much. Maybe the pair-bond made an omega need it even if it hurt him, and if that was the case, why hadn't Levi warned him about that?

Glen bit back noises of distress as he cleaned himself up. This wasn't the experience he'd hoped to have at all. The way he'd seen other people carry on, he thought sex would be the best feeling in the world. Maybe the problem was _him_. With the issues he was having with his cycles as he got older, he wondered if that was just a symptom of a deeper problem. Maybe he wasn't put together right and that was why it hurt so bad.

Suffering his confusion and pain in silence, Glen finished cleaning up, put his wash bucket in the corner of the tent until morning and changed into the loosest, softest pair of pajama shorts he could find in his belongings. He turned off his camping lantern and lay down on his pallet, curling up against his pillow in the dark.

Sex, he decided, was vastly overrated.

* * *

Glen managed to pull of a convincing enough act for his brother and friend for the rest of the festival. Though it hurt like hell to sit for the rest of the event unless he did it leaning a little to one side, he had the fabricated excuse of sleeping wrong on his hip to explain it. He avoided Brett when he saw him. At one point, the alpha managed to corner him and ask if they could spend more time alone, and Glen firmly told him it was a one time good deal.

"But why?" asked Brett. "I really liked being with you. Where's the harm in doing it one more time? Maybe we can hook up again the next time I'm in these parts. You said you don't have a boyfriend."

"I don't have a boyfriend because I don't want a relationship," Glen insisted. "Just be happy with our one night, okay?"

"Look, I'm not asking for a relationship here," Brett said, resting one hand on the trunk of the tree Glen was leaning back against. "I just want to have a little fun again before I go. I keep thinking about you, and I've got to have that sweet ass again while I can."

"Too bad," Glen said. "You're not getting it. It was nice hooking up with you."

"What are you afraid of?" Now Brett was looking angry and insulted. "You're the one that suggested we do it. Don't act like a puritan after you've already given it up, Glen."

Deciding it was time to put an end to this, even if it meant being brutal and _really_ hurting the guy's feelings, Glen spoke his mind. "You want to know the truth?" He looked up at the looming male, whose body language suggested he was trying to intimidate him into agreeing. "The truth is, you might have had fun, but I didn't. It wasn't any good for me, so I'm not up for an encore."

Now Glen could smell that alpha scent coming off Brett in abundance, and the dark scowl on the guy's face left little doubt that he wasn't the "nice guy" he'd claimed to be.

"You moaned like a slut, blondie. That doesn't give me the impression you weren't having a good time."

"Oh yeah?" Glen pushed away from the tree, his anger matching the alphas and even rising to greater heights. The cold, hard glare he gave Brett actually made the bigger male take a step back. "How about when I asked you to stop? Did _that_ fail to clue you in?"

Brett hesitated, losing some of his bluster. "I thought you were just putting up an act. You can't tell someone to stop in the middle of it. What the hell, man?"

Glen's jaw nearly dropped. "You can't tell...where the _fuck_ did you grow up? You were _hurting_ me, you asshole! I said 'stop' twice, and you just kept going. I think you even fucked me harder."

"I thought you liked it!"

Glen stared at him, realized he wasn't going to get through this guy's entitled, meat-head way of thinking, and decided on another means of communicating his rejection. He didn't even have to consciously think of it; the action came more from muscle memory than deliberate thought. All of martial arts and self-defense techniques he'd learned from his family—particularly his father—proved to be most useful in that moment.

His right palm snapped up, lightning fast, and hit Brett in the jaw under the chin. The guy's head whipped back and though it had only been a "soft strike", it shocked him and sent him staggering. Glen didn't stop there. He was so offended by the guy's assumption that "stop" had actually meant "go" that he couldn't just leave it at that. Before Brett could recover, Glen gave him a swift kick in the crotch for good measure.

As the alpha crumpled to the ground, one hand over his jaw and the other cupping his groin, Glen stood over him with his fists clenched.

"Don't," he said, "come near me again. Don't try to talk to me, don't try to intimidate me. You had your fun. Leave it at that, or you'll have to deal with my whole family...and you _don't_ want to piss them off."

Glen didn't wait to see how the other young man responded. He turned away from him, now thoroughly sickened by his poor judgment in his first partner to have intercourse with. As he made his egress back to his camp, a new thought entered the young omega's mind: maybe the sex with Brett had been so bad because they were incompatible, and he'd just refused to listen to his own instincts. He'd been eager to sate the nagging omega urges. Treating his virginity as something he just needed to get rid of. Thinking that once he did that, the frustration would ease up until Dr. Eklund could come through for him with the suppressants.

He'd made a mistake.

* * *

Erwin covered up his relief when the boys pulled up the driveway late Sunday night. Glad that they'd decided not to stay the extra night at the festival grounds, he went outside to meet them.

"Welcome home," he greeted with a smile as the two weary young men got out of the car. "Your brother's in bed, so try to be quiet when you come into the house. I'll help with the luggage."

"Thanks, Dad." Glen opened the trunk, and he moved a little gingerly.

"How was it?" asked Erwin, trying not to take too much interest in the youngest twin's stiff body language. "Did you have a good time?"

"It was all right." Glen retrieved the packed tents, and he stepped aside for Erwin to get two of the bags out. Kolby got the coolers out before closing the trunk.

"I assume you've already dropped Penny home?" Erwin grunted a little as he picked up the heavy duffle bags to carry them into the house.

"Yeah," confirmed Kolby. "They had some good bands there. Lots of art for Glen to check out, too."

Erwin noticed a quick exchange of glances between the boys, but he didn't comment on it. He could only imagine what other adventures they'd gotten up to on their weekend getaway that they weren't inclined to share with him.

"By the way," Erwin told them as the trio carried their burdens up to the house, "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight, so please try not to turn on any bright lights if you pass through the living room in the night to get a snack or something."

Both of the twins stopped. "What are you doing on the couch?" asked Glen.

"I figured there was a chance you two might come back tonight, and you would both want your own beds after sleeping in a tent all weekend."

Kolby's brows forked. "Why would you be sleeping in one of our...oh." Comprehension replaced confusion on his visage. "Because of the beer."

Erwin nodded calmly. "Yes, because of the beer. I should have discussed it with your father first. Exile from our bedroom is a mild punishment to take, all things considered."

"Papa kicked you out of the bed?" Glen asked, though he didn't look terribly surprised.

"Sorry Dad," offered Kolby with a wince.

"It's okay," assured Erwin. "Maybe now that you're back and no worse for the wear, he'll start to forgive me. Let's get these things put away. I'm sure you're both exhausted and ready for a real shower."

"All right," said Kolby. "Maybe we can talk to Papa in the morning and convince him to go easier on you."

Erwin smirked. "You're welcome to try. Good luck."

Glen made an amused sound, and he spoke to his brother in a sly voice. "Dad might be the alpha, but Papa's the one holding all the balls. Ow! Don't elbow me, freak!"

"Quiet, boys," chastised Erwin, forgiving the younger twin for his crude comment with a slight chuckle. Glen was right, after all. Levi did call most of the shots in their relationship, even though Erwin had the power of his alpha influence to make it otherwise. Erwin wouldn't have had it any other way, though.

* * *

Levi did warm back up to Erwin by the next evening. He didn't speak to the twins about their row, didn't ask them about how much or what they might have drank at the festival and kept the subject matter focused on the music and sights they saw while there. Something felt off about Glen, but Levi was used to him going through mood swings from time to time. Those were just part of growing up, and they could continue well into Glen's twenties. He reasoned that if anything really bad happened during that festival, one or both of the twins would have told him.

Not one to let things go easily once someone had offended him, Levi didn't immediately let Erwin off the hook. Maybe it was petty of him, but he wanted to let the man suffer for a little longer to drive the point home. For his part, Erwin accepted the punishment like a gentleman. He didn't whine about it, he didn't resort to passive-aggressive resentment, and he did little things to show Levi he was sorry without verbally bringing up the subject. He helped more with cleaning, he spent less time on the computer and he engaged in small talk while reading the paper.

It was little Alex who inadvertently made Levi decide he'd stretched it out for long enough. After dinner, the child tugged at Levi's shirt hem to get his attention while Erwin cleaned up the dishes, and when Levi bent over to see what he wanted, Alex whispered a question to him.

"Are you still mad at Daddy?"

That gave Levi a little start. He'd been careful not to talk about the incident in front of Alex, and Erwin made sure to put his pillow and blanket away in the morning before the kid woke up so that he wouldn't see them on the couch and question it. They'd both tried to keep the tension between them discreet for the sake of their youngest son, but apparently Alex figured it out anyway.

Levi glanced toward the kitchen, where his husband stood rinsing off the last of the dishes in the sink before putting them away in the washer. "Don't worry, nugget," he said in a low voice to Alex, "We're fine. Sometimes we don't always get along perfectly, just like you and your friends. We always get over it. It never lasts."

"I think you should hug him," whispered Alex. "He looks sad."

_~Ah, for fuck's sake.~_

Levi looked at Erwin again, and he was once more impressed by Alexander's intuitiveness. He took after Erwin in that way at least, even if he shared no other traits with either parent. Erwin was indeed subdued, trying hard to make up for his blunder and quietly depressed that it came to tension between them.

"I'll tell you what," Levi said to the boy, "I'll give him a hug tonight when we go to bed. He won't be so sad in the morning."

"You promise?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah. Now go and get in the bath tub, and keep the door cracked like always. Call for one of us when you're ready to get out and dry off, but don't fool around in there until the water gets cold."

"Kay."

Levi wiped down the kitchen table and countertops, chatted with the twins as they helped him tidy up, then went to his youngest son's aid when he heard Alex call out for him. He helped the boy dry off to ensure he didn't leave any crevasses moist and then helped him into his pajamas. He stepped aside and watched as Erwin came in to read Alex a short bedtime story, and he was again reminded of what a loving father the man was. Levi couldn't keep holding a grudge against him over one moment of permissive decision making. The twins were technically old enough to drink. The discrepancy in the law between the ages eighteen and twenty-one were foolish, and had it not been for his protectiveness of Glen, he might not have gotten so upset about it.

Erwin finished reading the mini book to their son, bent over to kiss Alex on the forehead and tucked him in. He got up, bid the child goodnight and made sure that his night light was on before flipping off the overhead one. The couple stepped out into the hallway together so that Erwin could close Alexander's door.

"Well," Erwin said in a low voice. The sound of Glen's computer game in the next room could be heard through the wall, low enough not to keep anyone up.

"Well," repeated Levi, unsure of how to proceed.

"I guess I'll get my things out of the room and set up the couch for tonight," concluded Erwin, his tone softly resigned.

Levi sighed. "No. Forget about your sad little couch bed tonight. You can come to bed with me."

Erwin's eyes lit up, and for a moment, Levi was taken back to a time when their relationship first began its hesitant steps into a commitment. He remembered Erwin looking that way when Levi accepted his offer to move in with him. He seemed young again, an idealistic man in his prime trying to win Levi over and make the world a better place.

"You mean it?" Erwin asked, almost shyly.

It made Levi ache, made him want to hug him tight, just as their son had suggested.

"Yeah, I mean it. I guess I fucked up too, being too hard on you."

"No Levi, you—"

"Didn't give you a reason to feel safe talking to me about it beforehand," interjected the omega. "You may have committed the transgression, but if I'm so closed to suggestions you feel like you have to do things behind my back, then I'm not helping us communicate with each other. I know why you did it, Erwin. I know you thought you were somehow protecting me and being the 'Buddy Dad' at the same time. Let's just try to put it behind us, and the next time you get an idea like that concerning our sons, talk to me about it first even if you think it might upset me. I'd rather be upset over something you want to do than be undermined or lied to."

Erwin stroked Levi's shoulders, and he nodded. "I understand. I try to do better at these sort of things, but I may never be perfect at it. I just hope that _you_ understand that when I falter in ways like this, it's only because I love you so much that I don't always think rationally."

Levi hid a smirk. "I've figured that out. You're off the hook."

When Erwin smiled, Levi gave him a warning. "Oi, don't look so smug. I was going to let you suffer one more night, but then I got emotionally blackmailed by the nugget. You still have some making up to do for the stress this caused me."

"So I have Alexander to thank for getting my marriage bed privileges back," mused Erwin. "I see. Well then, I won't take the opportunity for granted."

The blond put his hands on Levi's waist to draw him closer, and he bent over to murmur seductively into his ear. "Let's make a deal, shall we?"

"What...kind of deal?" Levi's vision lost focus as the alpha's breath tickled his ear. Lust was already stirring, and they hadn't even kissed yet. The two lonely nights without Erwin in his bed was a reminder to him that he only slept soundly with the man at his side.

"I'll worship this sweet little body with my hands and mouth," suggested Erwin, "and you tell me when it's enough. I won't stop until then."

It didn't require a lot of thinking on Levi's part to give his answer. "Who could pass up a deal like that?"

* * *

Glen was still troubled about what happened over the weekend, and when he heard the faint sounds coming from his parents' bedroom at the end of the hall, his torment was increased. While he'd told Kolby that he'd come to terms with the fact that their parents were sexual beings, it was at times like this that he wished their libido would have cooled down some over the years.

"There they go again," he groaned, flipping onto his side and stuffing his pillow over his head. After a moment, though, he lifted the muffling cushion up to listen in spite of himself. Levi didn't sound like he was in any pain. He never did, when him and Erwin went at it. Glen used to think otherwise when he was just a kid and didn't understand things yet, but as he matured, he came to realize that those moans had a different pitch than the kind of noise someone would make out of discomfort.

It _had_ to feel good for Levi. Glen couldn't imagine him doing it so often if it didn't. He also knew he'd made those same sounds when getting fondled the right way by a partner, so at least part of the act was confirmed pleasurable. Plus, for all Glen's annoyance at hearing them going to town again, he was glad that his prediction had been right. The cold war was over, and his parents had declared a truce. Well, more like an alliance.

When the predictable sound of the bed squeaking joined the low vocalizations of his parents, Glen decided something had just been wrong with his own encounter. There were no pleas for it to stop from Levi, only gasping encouragement and praise. It was obvious that both Erwin and Levi thoroughly enjoyed the act of making babies. No wonder they'd both decided to get sterilized. The house would be full of kids by now, if they hadn't.

"So what did I do wrong?" wondered Glen aloud, frustrated. Were omegas only meant for one alpha? Did it hurt so bad because Glen had picked the wrong guy and his body just rejected Brett before he himself even realized it was a mistake? Was he damaged somehow as he'd initially theorized? None of his checkups thus far indicated any kind of deformity in the way he was put together, but _something_ had to be to blame for how the experience turned out.

Eventually the noise of his parents' activities quieted—not that they were loud, but it wasn't really possible for a couple to bang under the same roof as their family unheard unless they lived in a really big place or had soundproof walls. With peace and quiet restored, Glen attempted to get some rest.

He couldn't sleep like this, with all these questions in his head, this shame burning in his gut and the sound of his parents happily coupling still fresh in his ears. Glen sat up with a curse, felt around for his phone and looked up his oldest brother's number. He sent Dylan a text asking if he was at work and if not, if he was still up.

 _"I'm off tonight,"_ came the older sibling's response. _"What's up, Glen?"_

 _"Could we meet somewhere and hang out for a while?"_ Glen texted back. _"I need to talk to someone. If you're in bed it can wait."_

There was a moment's hesitation before the response came back. _"Sure, imp. Nick's working until about 3. You can come over here. Stay the night if u want, Nick won't mind. Just let the folks know, ok?"_

Glen sighed with relief. If there was one family member he felt he could always talk to about difficult or embarrassing matters without getting judged, it was Dylan. _"Thanks, bro. I'll Uber it so Kolby has the car for class tomorrow."_

There was another small pause before Dylan responded. _"Don't u need wheels for class 2?"_

_"Only on Wed and Fri. My other classes are online."_

_"Oh,"_ replied Dylan. _"Want me to just come get you?"_

Guessing his brother was more worried about him accepting a ride from a stranger than he was about him spending money, Glen hesitated a moment. _"You don't have to go out of your way."_

_"It's no trouble. I usually work late shift these days, so I don't go to bed until late. I'll come get u."_

_"Okay. Thanks. I'll be waiting outside."_

* * *

Glen sent a group email to his household so that he could let them all know where he'd gone without waking them up. That was his preferred way of doing it since the time he'd tried leaving a note and an errant breeze from a fan blew it off the counter and under the fridge, leaving his family frantic to find out where he was. He got in trouble when he came home later that day, accused of taking off without telling anyone where he was going.

Once he finished that, he packed an overnight bag just in case, and he went out on the front porch to wait for Dylan. He recognized his brother's car when it pulled up on the street without turning into the driveway. It was the same car Dylan bought years ago, when he first moved out. He'd taken good care of it and it was anyone's guess when he'd ever retire it. The black-topped, silver convertible looked as sleek as ever, and the engine purred as quietly as newer model cars on the market. Probably because it was practically brand new and only a year old. Dylan had replaced a few parts over the years to keep the car running at top function. The engine had been his biggest project.

Glen grabbed his bag and went down the footpath to the sidewalk and street. He circled around to the passenger side and got in, tossing his bag into the back seat. "Hey, thanks for coming to get me."

"No problem."

Dylan waited for Glen to get his seatbelt secured, and then he made a u turn on the street and waited until he reached the stop sign to turn his headlights back on to full. As they drove out of the neighborhood, Dylan glanced over at Glen's brooding face and voiced a low question.

"So what's on your mind, imp? You said you wanted to talk to me about something. We can wait until we get to my place if you want, but you don't have to if it's something really important."

Glen looked at his brother. Everyone said that Dylan looked identical to Levi but for his height and build, but Glen thought that their faces were very different. Not in shape and bone structure, but in the way they emoted. Levi was like a statue as far as facial expressions went; beautifully sculpted, but cool and impassive as stone unless seriously provoked to emotion. Dylan, on the other hand, was warm and open, his face animated and generous with its expressions.

That was what Glen loved about his oldest brother, really. This "alike yet not alike" thing between the young officer and their father. While Glen didn't casually share the particulars of his everyday life with Dylan the way he did with the rest of his family, there were just some things that he reserved only for Dylan's ears. This issue on his mind happened to be one of them...at least for now. Problem was, he didn't know where to begin.

"You and Nick are both alphas," mused Glen, almost to himself.

Dylan nodded. "Yeah. You've known that for years. Don't listen to people that try to say I'm really an omega passing as an alpha. You know that's bullshit."

Glen smirked. "I know. They just say that because of your looks. It confuses people 'cause you look like a bigger version of Papa to most of them. You smell like other alphas to me. That isn't why I brought up you and Nick."

"Then what is it?"

Glen sighed, trying to pick his words so that it would make some sense. "Okay, your relationship with him isn't...what Papa's relationship is with Dad. You know?"

Dylan laughed, and he put his blinker on before checking his mirrors and merging onto the interstate ramp. "Nobody's relationship is like theirs, buddy."

"You got me there," agreed Glen. "But what I meant was the sex. You two aren't the same as an alpha/omega pairing or a man and a woman, right? I mean, you don't uh...have assigned roles?"

Dylan flushed a bit, but he obliged Glen's curiosity all the same. "I don't honestly think anyone has assigned roles, except when it comes to making babies. I get what you mean, though. No, me and Nick don't have a set role in the bedroom. Why are you asking me about this? Usually you'd rather die than talk about other people's sex lives."

Glen fought off an uncomfortable grimace. His brother was right; sex wasn't a subject he generally liked to bring up except as a joke. He _needed_ someone to talk to about this, though. It was like a festering wound that he couldn't salve.

"Does it...hurt...when he's on top?"

Dylan curved onto the exit ramp, and he hesitated. "It did a little at first. Not anymore, though. He's really careful and we've figured out how to ease into it."

"So pain is normal the first time?" pressed Glen.

Dylan frowned, seemed to consider it and shrugged. "I can't speak for everyone. It's probably a little different for me as an alpha than it is for omegas or women. They're uh...more equipped for it, I guess. Their bodies are made for it, you know? I'm sure it hurts for everyone the first time, but..."

Dylan trailed off, pulled to a stop at the yield sign, and eyeballed Glen suspiciously. Comprehension bled into his expression, followed by horror and then, concern.

"Oh," he said softly.

Glen looked away.

"You've been with someone?"

The young omega swallowed, and he gazed at the reflection of his brother's worried face in the window. He couldn't look directly at him. He nodded.

"It hurt," he whispered. "A lot. I thought it would get better, but it didn't."

Glen expected Dylan to ask for more details, such as a name or a date. Instead, Dylan reached out and stroked his hair briefly.

"Sorry, imp. It doesn't sound like he was very considerate."

Glen trembled. That kind statement and gesture was like a wrecking ball to the flimsy wall he'd put up around himself. His vision blurred with tears, and he scrubbed at his eyes angrily.

"I was stupid. Thought I was just getting rid of a burden. This fucked up body of mine wants to go into heat all the time, and I figured I'd be doing myself a favor if I just gave it what it seemed to want. W-why do people do it? It's supposed to feel good, right?"

He finally looked at his brother pleadingly, hoping for some explanation. Dylan bore a helpless and frustrated expression on his face. This was, Glen thought, what really set him apart from their father. Levi would have been a blank slate, expressionless and impossible to read. Not so with Dylan. The naked sympathy on his face was a thing Glen would probably never see from Levi.

"With the right person," Dylan said softly, "It does. When it's someone that cares about you, it can be great. If it's someone that doesn't know you...someone that doesn't put your needs above them getting off, you're not going to get the same experience."

"So I screwed up," reasoned Glen with a sniff. "I j-just handed it to some guy like it was nothing. Now I never want to do it again."

Dylan winced, and he pulled into a gas station and parked near the dumpster. He put the car into park, and he pulled Glen into a brotherly embrace. "Hey, don't talk like that."

"It's true though," insisted Glen, his words muffled against the older male's chest. The shame and self-loathing was thick in his voice. "Who'd even want to be with me now?"

Dylan pulled back, and he cupped the omega's face in his palms. His dark gray eyes were sincere and passionate. "Nobody worthy of you is going to give a damn who you've been with, Glen. If they care that much about being your first, they aren't worth a second thought, okay? Maybe you used poor judgment, but what's done is done. It's sex, not a world peace treaty. Don't think of your body as something you're supposed to be bartering. You're better than that."

Glen wiped his nose, and he blinked at the older male. "So you don't think I'm a loser?"

Dylan chuckled a little painfully, and he shook his head. "No way." He wiped at the tears streaming from Glen's eyes with his thumbs. "You're my baby brother, and you just made a hasty decision. I don't want one bad experience to make you jaded forever. I promise you, with the right person, sex can be amazing. This guy that made it so miserable is the loser, here. I'd ask his name but I'm afraid I'll hunt him down and kick his ass if you give it to me."

The ending comment made Glen laugh unsteadily. Feeling slightly better about himself, he took a steadying breath. "He was a nobody. You're right; he isn't worth my time. I never should have done it with him."

"You're not the only person to wake up with 'buyer's remorse', kiddo," advised Dylan. He glanced toward the gas station's entry doors. "Want a slushie while we're here? My treat."

Glen almost turned him down, but the thought of a frozen treat appealed to him. Maybe it would help settle his stomach. "Sure, if they have flavors besides cola and cherry."

* * *

-To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates for this are currently coming fast because I'd written four chapters already when I decided to start publishing. It will probably slow down after chapter four, when I have to write more chapters as well as edit. I hope everyone is enjoying the tale so far! Thank you kindly for the feedback and kudos thus far.

The short reprieve from home turned out to be just what Glen needed to get his thoughts in order. He realized that part of his issue was the guilt he felt, and looking his parents or twin in the eye made his stress levels go up. After spending some time with Dylan and Nick, he felt much better about himself. They played a game of cards when Nick got home, and Glen skipped class the next day to spend some personal time with himself. Ordinarily he wouldn't have done such a thing, but his grade point average was high enough that he felt safe in doing so. He didn't tell his family about it, of course. Erwin in particular would have had a fit if he knew.

He received a call by the end of the week from Dr. Eklund informing him that his trial suppressants were ready for him, and Glen made arrangements to pick them up. Despite his inward vow not to get involved with alphas again, seeing the handsome doctor again made his heart do little flips in his chest.

Coupled with his crush-worthy reaction to the man was an odd feeling of betrayal that Glen couldn't banish. It made no sense to him. He wasn't promised to the man, had no relation to him beyond doctor and patient, yet he felt like he'd committed some offense against Gustav by having sex with someone else. To Glen's horror, his feelings manifested in the worst way while discussing the use of his trial medication with him during a scheduled appointment.

"Sex didn't help," he informed Gustav...and he immediately wished he could take the words back.

Gustav paused in the act of writing something down in Glen's medical file. His dark eyes lifted from the paper to fixate on the now blushing omega, and he quirked a silent brow.

"I mean," Glen sputtered, "you asked if I had a boyfriend that could take care of me. The last time I was here."

"So I did," responded the doctor in a musing tone. He looked Glen over, and for a moment the young man could swear he saw something spark in his dark eyes. It almost looked like anger, and Glen shifted uncomfortably. When Gustav spoke again, his tone was carefully neutral. Whatever that flash of emotion had been was gone.

"Usually," said Gustav, "the fastest and most effective way to relieve symptoms of a heat or a rut is to do as nature intends us to do. Perhaps it was wrong of me to make the suggestion, though. I imagine your parents wouldn't be pleased if they hear of it."

Glen's face went hot. "Well, they won't hear about it from me. I don't even know why I told _you_ , except...I guess I'm trying to understand why it didn't work on me. If it works for everyone else, then there must be something wrong with me."

The doctor's expression softened. "I think if that were the case, we would have noticed it before now. You have a clean bill of health, Glen. It isn't uncommon for omegas to have issues balancing out reproductive hormones as they mature, as a matter of fact. It can even be genetic. Does your father have a medical history of strong heats?"

Glen didn't have to think about the question. He nodded. "Yeah. My youngest brother was an 'oops'. Both my parents got fixed after he was born, just to be on the safe side. Papa's pretty fertile for an omega, I guess."

"It doesn't surprise me to hear that," admitted Gustav. "Given that you're a twin, I already suspected as much."

"Are twins really that rare for alphas and omegas to have?"

The doctor nodded. "Twins and beta offspring, yes. Statistically, an alpha and an omega pairing tends to produce alpha offspring. Percentage chances alter if one partner is a beta."

"I remember Aunt Hange talking about it before. She said I'd probably never have a sister, but when I asked her why I couldn't understand her explanation. I was just a kid back then, though."

"It's confusing for a lot of adults, too." Gustav smiled slightly, and then he sighed and looked over Glen's medical file again. "We can run some tests to be sure if you're really concerned, but I don't have any reason to think you have any unusual medical issues. Pardon my saying so, but it could be that your boyfriend simply lacks the experience to satisfy your heat cravings."

Glen bit his lip. He didn't want to go into details, but he felt like he needed more confirmation that the problem was with the alpha he did it with, and not with himself. "We only did it once. We uh...aren't together. Once was enough for me."

Gustav frowned a bit. When he spoke, it was almost as if to himself as an afterthought. "He must have been really awful to get dumped after the first time."

"He was," agreed Glen. "Or at least, the sex was. I don't know if it was him or me, though. I just know it hurt, and it didn't make me feel any better."

Something like pity manifested on the older male's face. "He was your first."

Glen winced, and he nodded. "Yeah."

Gustav sighed, and he rubbed his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry, Glen. I feel responsible. If I hadn't suggested having a partner try to take care of you, this might not have happened."

"I think I'd have done it whether you said anything or not," admitted Glen. "Heats are about sex. I'd have put two and two together and come to the conclusion myself, sooner or later. It's not like I was going to stay a virgin for the rest of my life."

"No, but you might have held out for a more considerate partner if I hadn't encouraged you to turn to an alpha for relief." Gustav scratched his chin, and he got his cell phone out. "I'm going to check and be sure that your prescription is ready. You should be able to pick it up at the pharmacy on your way out. Remember to try the lower dosage first, and if it works well enough for you, we can wave the second prescription entirely."

"Got it," agreed Glen. He was relieved that the conversation about his foray into the world of sex was over with. He watched and waited while the doctor made his phone call, and when Gustav confirmed that the trial suppressants were in and waiting for him, Glen sighed with relief.

"Thanks, Dr. Eklund."

"My pleasure." Gustav got off of his stool, and he saw Glen to the door. "Call me if you feel any adverse reaction to this new prescription, Glen. We'll get you sorted out; it may just take a little while."

"Okay. Hey Doctor...can I ask you something personal?"

Gustav nodded, and Glen took a deep breath. "You used to be married, right?"

"I was," agreed Gustav.

"Do you have any kids?"

"No."

Well, that was one less complication, though it really didn't matter whether the man had kids or not if he was only into women. Glen tried to think of how to word his next question without being too blatant about it.

"Think you'll ever get back together with your ex?"

Gustav seemed to find something amusing about that question. He shook his head. "No. That chapter in my life is definitely over with. We've gone our separate ways and moved on."

"Oh." Glen badly wanted to pry a little more and find out if Gustav was dating again or still single, but he was already pushing his luck. Anything more and he might as well just tell the guy he wanted to go out with him.

"Why do you ask?" Gustav said curiously.

Uh-oh. He'd said too much. Glen panicked a little, and he blurted the only excuse he could think up at such short notice. "Ah, I was just wondering. One of my friends' moms is single now. I thought if you're dating again and like women, maybe you two could hook up."

"Match-making, are you?" Gustav smiled softly. "I appreciate the thought, but I'm not in the market for a girlfriend."

Glen's heart did a little flip. Maybe Gustav went both ways. "I get it. Too soon?"

Gustav glanced away. "Something like that."

It took every drop of Glen's willpower not to just come out and as if the doctor would prefer a boyfriend instead. "Oh well, I tried. Matchmaking isn't my strongpoint anyhow."

"There's no harm in asking," said Gustav. "Good luck, Glen. Keep me updated on your condition."

Glen nodded, and he stepped out into the hallway. He felt the doctor's eyes on him as he walked away from the examination room, and he paused to look back once he made it to the elevator. There was something in Gustav's eyes that he couldn't identify, mainly because Glen lacked the experience and confidence to recognize it for what it was.

* * *

Glen's relief was sadly not easily obtained. He did as instructed and tried the first trial prescription. It didn't work any better than his old suppressants. After a week on them, he switched to the stronger ones. He thought they were doing some good at first, but then while he was on campus attending one of his classes, he felt a familiar tingle that quickly became a nagging, inner tickle. The weakness of limbs and spike in body heat that followed it left no doubt in his mind that he was going into a full heat.

Kolby had the keys to the car and he was in another class on the other side of campus. With no other option to get home, Glen called his father to come and get him. In hindsight, he supposed he could have just sent a text to his brother to have him meet up with him, but thinking rationally was difficult at best under such circumstances. Glen stayed in the medical building on campus until Levi showed up, and by the time the older omega arrived, poor Glen was drenched in sweat, flushed and too weak to stand up on his own.

"Come on, kid," Levi told him, helping Glen off the gurney he was lying on. He draped one of Glen's arms over his shoulders and much to Glen's chagrin, Levi scooped him up bridal style.

"I can...walk," panted Glen in protest.

"You can barely even sit up," Levi pointed out. "Screw pride, imp. My car's just outside. Your dad's at a PTA meeting at Alex's school, so it'll just be you and me."

The announcement made Glen feel just a little better. Erwin was no stranger to omega heats and he'd never said anything to make Glen feel embarrassed when they happened, but being around alphas when he was like this made the young man uncomfortable...even if said alphas were his own family members. Their scent was distracting and the way his body reacted to it made Glen feel ashamed. Apparently his hormones were too stupid to discriminate between blood relations and other alphas. Whether the scent came from his brothers, his dad or some stranger passing on the street, the smell of alpha pheromones had the same effect on him.

Levi got Glen into the car, buckled his safety belt and turned on the air conditioner full blast. He even closed the vents on the driver's side so that Glen would get the full force of the cool blast. As he pulled away from the building, Levi reached for the bottle of water he had sitting in the drink holder. He opened it up and handed it over to Glen, who began to drink thirstily from it.

"Didn't give you much warning time, did it?" remarked Levi, looking to the left and right before pulling out onto the street.

Glen shook his head. "Never does. Ugh...I'm getting your seat wet."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take the shop vac to it if I have to. Sweat and slick cleans up easier than blood anyhow."

Glen made a face, but he was thankful that his father was being so calm about it. For all of his obsessive compulsive attention to hygiene, Levi was always good about prioritizing his family's needs above his own impulses. As soon as they got onto the interstate, Levi took the fast lane. It probably took less than fifteen minutes to make it home, but it felt like much longer to Glen. Levi helped him out of the car and up the steps after parking in the driveway, this time without carrying him. It took Glen a second to realize why when he made it to his bedroom, heard his father grunt and saw his lips thin with pain.

"Papa, did you hurt your back?"

Levi glanced at him, and he shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You're holding the small of your back," Glen pointed out, wiping sweat from his brow.

Levi straightened up with another little grunt. His expression hardly changed, but his pupils shrank to pinpoints and his breath caught. "Just a little stiff. I'll bring you the icepack and put your padding on the bed. Get undressed."

Glen started pulling his shirt off. It was clinging to him, almost soaked through with sweat. "Everybody calls _me_ stubborn, but I get it from you."

Levi chose not to respond to that. He left the room to retrieve the promised items, and Glen resumed peeling his garments off.

* * *

Glen's heat was in full swing by dinnertime, and it remained that way for two full days. He kept taking his trial suppressants even though chances were it wouldn't do anything for him in the middle of a mating cycle. He entertained the hope that it would at least take the edge off, but by the second day of his heat, he was almost delirious with fever and need. He only found rest when his parents medicated him with a prescription sedative for just such an emergency. Even in his sleep, he cried out pathetically. Beating off only provided a token of relief. It did nothing for the throbbing, persistent tickle in his nethers.

Levi did most of the care-giving while Glen was in his heat, knowing that the young man preferred not to be in the company of alphas while in his condition. He gave Glen cool sponge baths to help lower his body heat, he helped him to the bathroom when he needed to go and he fed him applesauce and light broths to keep his strength up. All of this he did without complaint, though Glen knew he really had hurt himself carrying him.

Not until Glen's heat started to fade did Levi finally relax his diligence and make a doctor's appointment for himself to have his back looked at. He had Mikasa come over to babysit Alex and keep en eye on Glen while Erwin drove him to see the doctor. She sat with Glen after putting on some cartoons for Alex, and he expressed his frustration and feelings of guilt to her.

"I told Papa he didn't need to carry me," sighed Glen. "Hope he didn't do any serious damage to himself lifting my fat ass."

"Don't blame yourself," she advised. "If Levi hurt himself, it's more likely he twisted the wrong way while helping you to the car. You're about as fat as a twig, Glen."

The young man heaved a sigh, and he looked out his bedroom window. "Even so, I probably didn't help by struggling when he picked me up."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," she soothed. "It takes surprisingly little to throw a back out. Eren managed to do it just by sneezing last year."

Glen blinked. "You're kidding me. All he did was sneeze?"

Mikasa smiled a little wryly, and she nodded. "Just a sneeze."

"How is that even possible?" demanded Glen. "The guy's a firefighter and a volunteer lifeguard! Sneezing is what kicked his butt?"

"He was bent over getting some laundry out of the dryer when it happened," explained Mikasa. "The sudden muscle tension is what did it to him. I heard him howl from the other side of the house and found him lying on the floor in the laundry room. Luckily it was just a sprain, but he was out of commission for two weeks from it."

"Wow. I didn't know backs were that fragile." Glen wondered if Dr. Eklund would be the one to examine Levi. Thinking of the man made his fading heat symptoms flare up again, and he groaned. "Damn it...go away!"

Mikasa raised a brow at him.

"Not you," panted Glen. "I meant this heat."

She reached out to stroke the omega's hair soothingly. "I see. I can't say that I envy you omegas. Armin had a bad one just recently too."

"Does Uncle Eren...help him when it happens?"

Mikasa lowered her gaze, and her cheeks gained the slightest hint of pink to them. "We both do what we can. It's not a subject I want to discuss with my little nephew, though."

His discomfort was so great that Glen hadn't even considered that. Sex just wasn't something he and his aunt ever talked about. "Sorry. Didn't mean to gross you out."

Mikasa gave him a faint smile. "Heat cycles tend to destroy modesty. I understand. Can I get you anything?"

Glen nearly told her she could get Gustav Eklund for him. He mentally smacked himself and practiced what little restraint he had left. "More ice water?"

"You got it," she promised. She took the big plastic cup off Glen's nightstand and got up to refill it for him. "Hang in there, Glen. This heat can't last for much longer."

"God, I hope not," he muttered. As she left, he reached for his cell phone. He had Dr. Eklund's personal phone number. The man had called him a few days ago to check in on him, and he'd invited Glen to add him to his contact list so that he could reach him quickly if anything went wrong while trying out the new suppressants.

Glen stared at the contact information contemplatively. Really, he could call Hange with any questions he had about his medication or his heats. She'd been his primary doctor for years until Gustav transferred back and Hange started taking more personal time off. There wasn't much either of them could do for him right now, though. Emergency suppressants were damned hard to get, and for them to do any good, they had to be taken at the beginning of a cycle, not the end.

Glen started typing a text message to Gustav, despite knowing the man couldn't be of help to him right now.

_"Hi Doc. It's me. The second script doesn't work either."_

Glen waited for a response, and just when he thought he'd picked a bad time, Gustav texted him back.

_"Are you having a bad reaction?"_

Glen sighed. _"No. They just don't work. Been in heat for 2 days now."_

 _"Did it start before or after switching to the second prescription?"_ came the response.

 _"After,"_ answered Glen. His frustration got the better of him, and he went into brat mode. _"I'm so tired of this. It runs my life. Can't do anything without worrying about making a mess in my pants or getting jumped by some alpha. Would getting sterilized stop this?"_

It took a while for Gustav to answer. _"I know how frustrated you must feel, but surgical sterilization isn't an option at your age. Not legally. We'll set another appointment and keep tweaking your suppressants until we find a script that's right for you. It's just going to take time."_

Glen growled in annoyance. _"How much time? Until I have to drop out of college because I'm always in heat? There has to be something I can do. I can't keep living like this."_

There was no answer forthcoming this time, and Glen cursed under his breath. He'd taken it too far, he supposed. Gustav was his doctor, not his personal grievance councilor. Even Glen was aware that he was behaving inappropriately, but he was desperate.

His phone started to ring, and Glen's eyes widened when he saw that it was Gustav calling him. He brought the phone to his ear, and he hesitated before speaking. "Hello?"

"Glen," said Gustav, "That last text you sent me has me concerned. Forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but how literal were you being when you said that?"

"Huh?" Glen struggled into a sitting position, dry-mouthed and unsure of what the man meant. "Which part?"

"The part about not being able to keep living like this," answered Gustav. "As a man of medicine, it's my obligation to act in my patients' best interest. If you're suffering depression, I think we need to look into getting you some emotional help as well as medical."

"Oh." The young omega then realized what his doctor was implying. "You think I was threatening to kill myself?"

"I honestly don't know," said the alpha. "It's hard to gauge the seriousness of it through text, which is why I decided to call and speak with you. I wasn't sure if it was a cry for help or metaphorical."

Glen started to say that he would never off himself, but he hesitated. "I...don't know for sure either. I can't see myself putting a gun to my head or anything like that, but if this keeps up, I'll have no quality of life. I don't want to die, but I don't want my whole life to be like this, either. Isn't there some kind of clause that lets omegas get fixed if there's a risk to their life?"

"There is, but it pertains to physical peril," answered Gustav, "Depression isn't grounds for it. In fact, if you pose the argument that you'll be a danger to yourself if you aren't given the procedure, it puts you at risk of court ordered commitment."

Glen's jaw dropped. "You'd do that to me?"

"Not me," assured Gustav, "but the medical board might, which is why I'm advising you now to be careful with your wording. I don't want to see that happen to you. If you _are_ feeling suicidal, we need to get you help."

"I'm not suicidal," assured Glen. "At least not yet. I'm just miserable and...uh..."

His aunt came back into the room with the icewater she'd promised him, and Glen trailed off. "Thanks, Aunt Mikasa."

"You're welcome." She set the water down on the night stand. "Who are you talking to?"

"M-my doctor," he answered, having no convenient lie available to him. "We're talking about my next appointment."

"Oh. Well, I won't keep you. Just call out for me if you need anything else."

"Okay, I will." Glen waited for her to exit the room, and then he addressed the man waiting on the other end of the line again. "That was my aunt. So anyway, are you serious about them institutionalizing me if I'm depressed?"

"First they would want you evaluated by a professional in that field," answered Gustav softly. "If you're analyzed as being at high risk of harming yourself, they'll have you involuntarily committed until they feel the danger is passed. I would much rather you keep working with me on getting your heats leveled out than see that happen, Glen."

The young omega heaved another sigh. "Great. I can't even complain that my life is shit without some assholes trying to make it even worse."

"I'm trying to make it better," reminded Gustav. "I'm on your side, Glen. You just need to bear with me and try to be patient."

Glen picked at the bedding he was seated on. He was going to need to put more padding on it soon if his heat didn't finish. "So what else can I do in the meantime? I've tried everything. I need some kind of relief."

"For now, all that I can suggest is to avoid overheating, restrictive pants and shirts that may chafe your chest."

Glen felt his face screw up. "What do my clothes have to do with anything?"

"Tight pants can cause pressure to the groin area," answered Gustav. "For some people, that can result in stimulation which triggers arousal. The same logic applies to what you put on your upper half. Rough material can rub against your nipples and—"

"Okay, I get it," interrupted Glen, now fully blushing. Though Gustav was using clinical terms, somehow hearing him talking about these things was hot. Glen squirmed as his pajama pants tented abruptly and started getting wet in the back. "So no skinny jeans or scratchy shirts. I'll make a note of that."

"As soon as you're feeling well enough for it, I want you to schedule your next appointment," said Gustav. "The sooner we can test out the next batch of suppressants, the sooner you can get your life back on track."

"Okay," agreed Glen. "I should be recovered enough by tomorrow."

"Just don't rush it," advised Gustav. "I know you're in a hurry to get this under control, but put safety first, all right?"

"I will," promised Glen. "Thanks, Dr. Eklund. I'm sorry I gave you a scare."

"That's all right," assured Gustav. "I'm just glad I was over-reacting."

* * *

"We may as well face it," Erwin remarked to his husband as he drove him back home from the doctor's office, "neither of us are young anymore."

"Tch. I never suffered any delusions." Levi was sitting stiffly in the passenger seat, having received a Cortisone shot in the back after getting examined by Hange. "I wasn't trying to show off. I just wanted to get our kid home before his condition attracted unwanted attention."

Erwin nodded in understanding. "I know. You acted out of parental instinct, but you could have done serious damage to yourself. Glen might be small, but like you, he's a bit heavier than he looks."

Levi had no argument for that. His lips thinned, and he peered at the road ahead moodily. "I'm tired of seeing that kid suffer, Erwin. I hope to hell that Alexander doesn't turn out to be an omega, for his sake."

Erwin mirrored Levi's frown. "I know. The helplessness of watching Glen struggle and being unable to do anything is terrible. His doctors are working on it with him though, and Hange assured us that she's expediting the process to keep Glen's wait to a minimal. Hopefully he'll be leveled out again soon and he won't need to go through this again for years. Maybe after his first child it will even out for him, without requiring so much specialized medication."

Levi glanced askew at the blond. "What makes you think Glen's even remotely interested in having kids? He's already made it pretty clear that he wants to travel and perfect his art. He can't do that with a brat in tow."

"I realize that," defended Erwin, "but he has a lot of years ahead of him. He may settle down sooner than we think. I'm just pointing out the statistics, Levi. You said yourself that your heats eased up some after having babies. Maybe Glen will be the same."

"I just don't want you getting your hopes set on it," Levi cautioned. "Kolby's already more or less promised you grandkids. Be content with that and don't push it."

"I wasn't talking about it for my benefit," protested Erwin, "though I do think Glen would produce really beautiful children. I'm worried about him too. I only want the best for him."

Sensing the alpha's defensiveness, Levi backed off. Maybe Erwin just couldn't help it. He believed him when he said that he had their kids' best interests in mind, but sometimes Levi thought his judgment was clouded by his own desire to be a grandparent some day. He had a feeling Erwin wouldn't be satisfied until all of their sons presented them with at least one grandkid each, and that was a lot to hope for—especially from Dylan.

"What do you suggest we do? Start trying to hook him up with every available alpha we can find? You know how picky Glen is. He's got very specific standards and I can't see him settling for anyone that doesn't rock his world. He's like me, that way."

Silently, the unbidden thought came to Levi that what Glen really needed was a good lay. It was a disturbing and unwanted realization, but an honest one, nonetheless. Glen was a young adult now, and it would be stupid to expect him to stay a chaste virgin until he found his mate—if that ever happened. He was distracted from his dark thoughts by the feel of Erwin's hand covering and squeezing his. Levi looked at the other man to find him smiling warmly at him. Probably in response to his statement from a moment ago.

"Watch the road," Levi warned uncomfortably. Even now Erwin could still make him blush.

Erwin cleared his throat and nodded. "Right. On the subject of Glen, I agree with you. He does have high standards and it isn't as simple as setting him up with someone that's merely available and convenient."

"I don't know if I'd say his standards are 'high'," corrected Levi with a snort. "Just very specific. He doesn't seem to care about career sets or social hierarchy. He'd probably date a bum off the streets if the guy had the right looks and personality."

Erwin grimaced, then shrugged. "So he isn't a snob. He can still live a happy, fulfilling life without a lot of money. You and I have had our money struggles, and with your looks, you could have had your pick of wealthy alphas to mate with."

"Weren't you the one that was hoping so hard that the twins would take a more lucrative career path?" Levi smirked at him. "So what happened there?"

Erwin sighed. "I'm learning to let go. I think I've made my peace with the fact that Glen may always be a struggling artist and Kolby probably has years to go before his chosen profession really pulls in a decent living. Not every child can grow up to be a doctor or lawyer."

"Good to see you've come to terms with that," approved Levi. Now if Erwin would just get off his grandchildren kick long enough to let the boys enjoy their youth while they could, they'd be set. It was unkind of him to think that way though, because Levi himself had some letting go to do. It wasn't easy to see his sons as the adults they now were; especially Glen. He hoped that when the omega finally _did_ have a steady boyfriend to bring home for dinner, both he and Erwin could be gracious and accepting of him.

* * *

It was a relief to get confirmation that Levi hadn't done serious damage to his back. As soon as Glen recovered enough to get around without suffering dizziness, he helped take care of his father. Hange advised bed rest for him and warned him not to lift anything heavier than ten pounds for a couple of weeks, even if his back felt better. Kolby did most of the cooking, while Glen took care of housekeeping. Erwin focused on projects around the house that he'd been putting off for a while, and he finally got the damaged shingles on the roof replaced.

Unfortunately for Erwin, his efforts to finish what he started cost him. Like some sort of spousal curse between them, what happened to Levi also happened to Erwin, but in a different way. Just as the man finished up with the roof and declared in a loud, satisfied voice that the job was done, he slipped. Glen was in his room taking an online class and Kolby was outside in the yard with Alex when it happened. Glen heard a crash overhead, followed by a tumbling ruckus and a masculine yell. He then heard Alex scream and Kolby's cry of alarm.

Glen jumped up from his bed and ran out of the house with Levi limping behind him. Erwin was lying on the ground by the hedges up against the side of the house. He looked stunned, staring up at the sky from his back. Kolby was already at his side with Alex. Alex was shaking Erwin's shoulder frantically.

"What the hell happened?" Levi demanded, going to his spouse's side as quickly as his back injury would allow. "Erwin? Hey, can you hear me?"

"He fell off the roof," explained Kolby. He was already digging for his cell phone. "I'm calling an ambulance."

Erwin wasn't moving, and for a horrifying moment, Glen thought he wasn't breathing, either. "Dad?" Then softer: "Daddy?"

Erwin finally drew a pained, ragged breath. "Ouch," he stated.

"Don't try to move," ordered Levi. "Alex, stop shaking him. Glen, take your brother inside and call Dylan to let him know what happened."

Glen swallowed and nodded. He scooped up Alex and carried the boy into the house, trying to reassure him even as he himself trembled with anxiety.

* * *

The paramedics arrived quickly, and Levi insisted on riding with Erwin in the ambulance. Glen, Kolby and Alex piled into the hatchback and followed behind. Dylan was already waiting at the hospital when they got there, and he hugged his brothers when they met up with him in the emergency room lobby.

"I don't believe this," Dylan stated. Nick was with him, and the bigger alpha patted his partner's shoulder comfortingly. "He just... _fell_?"

"I think he slipped on the pieces of shingle he'd pulled up when he replaced them," answered Kolby. "Now _both_ our parents have injured backs."

Nick sighed. "That's a little more in synch than you want to be."

"No kidding," agreed Dylan. He looked down at Alex, and he squatted before him. "Hey, don't worry, nugget. Dad's been through worse and they'll take good care of him. Hange's already on her way to oversee his treatment."

Alex sniffled and nodded, and Dylan picked him up when he put his arms up in silent demand. The young officer straightened up with his baby brother in his arms, and he looked at the twins respectively. "Baba's with Dad?"

Glen nodded. "Yeah. Good luck trying to pry him away."

"All right; here's what we're going to do," Dylan decided. "We're going to go back to the house—"

"No way! They just brought Dad in!"

"Glen, there's nothing we can do here except drive ourselves crazy with worry. This is no place for a kid Alex's age; he's scared enough without being surrounded by sick and injured people. Nick and I will stay with you guys until we hear something and the minute Dad's up for visitors, we'll come right back."

"I can't leave him," Glen insisted. He felt like a little boy again, uncertain and scared. He knew Erwin was a strong man, but he couldn't shake the fear that if he left, he'd get word that Erwin passed in the hospital.

"I have an idea," Nick announced. "Why don't we leave Glen here to hold down the fort? He can keep us updated, and someone should be here for Levi. The rest of us can take Alex home and wait until we hear something more."

Dylan considered the option, and he nodded. He met Glen's eyes, and he squeezed the omega's shoulder. "You sure you'll be okay here?"

Glen nodded. "I'm sure. I know my way around here and I've got my phone with me. I'll let you know as soon as I know what's up with Dad."

"All right. I'll make some phone calls and let people know what happened." Dylan set Alex back down and reached into his back pocket. "Here, take some money—"

"I don't need money," Glen said.

Dylan didn't stop reaching for his wallet. "Take some money," he repeated, "and buy yourself and Baba something to eat. There's that Chinese place around the block and the Greek cafe across the street, if you don't want to eat cafeteria food. I think I'll order us some pizza."

Glen gave up on the argument and accepted the two twenties his older brother offered him. He took a steadying breath and pocketed the currency. He then accepted a hug from his twin.

"You're shaking," observed Kolby. He pulled back to gaze at Glen with worry. "Maybe you should ask Hange or Moblit for something to calm your nerves when they get here."

"Maybe. Just take care of Alex. I'll be in touch."

* * *

"You idiot," Levi whispered to his unconscious husband. "You're lucky you didn't break your fucking back."

They'd wheeled Erwin in for x-rays, determined that he had a hairline fracture in one of his vertebra and put him in a brace to help immobilize it for healing. Hange stood over Levi, shaking her head and sighing.

"He just had to one-up you, didn't he?"

"Not funny," groused Levi. "He could have ended up paralyzed or broken his hip."

She patted Levi's tense shoulders. "I know. He didn't, though. It will heal up naturally as long as he gets plenty of bed rest and avoids bending or lifting for the next couple of months. It's going to be a challenge with both of you out of commission, but it's do-able. I highly recommend enlisting the help of friends and family while you're recovering."

"No shit. There's no way we can keep up with Alex in this condition, even if he _is_ the best behaved brat in the universe. Can't expect the twins to take up the job either, with both of them in a new college semester."

"I'll do my part," promised Hange. "My work schedule isn't as busy these days, so I can make arrangements to come over and babysit a couple of days a week. Don't try to keep up with that little boy yourselves, though. You could do permanent damage if you do."

"I'm aware of that. Dylan's taking over tonight, and Armin's going to come over tomorrow to help. Still waiting to hear back from Isabel and Farlan, but I'm sure they'll lend a hand too."

"Good. Now, where is Glen? I haven't seen him since we discussed the diagnosis."

"He went to make some calls and go to the bathroom," answered Levi. "He probably needs a little time alone, too. He was pretty shaken up over it."

"That lad feels more than he lets on," mused Hange. "Just like his father."

"Yeah. That worries me," Levi said honestly.

* * *

"Glen."

The young man stopped at the sound of the familiar voice calling his name. He turned to look behind him, and he found Gustav approaching. The doctor was wearing his lab coat, and he had a stethoscope hanging around his neck. He probably had some patients to examine today.

"Hi Dr. Eklund," greeted the omega, his voice unusually subdued.

Gustav tilted his head slightly, closing the distance between them. "I heard about what happened to your dad. He's in recovery, yes?"

"Yeah. He cracked a vertebra but they say it's not serious. They've got him doped up pretty good. He's still out."

"I was just on my way down to see how he's doing," admitted Gustav. "I wasn't expecting to run into you."

"I wouldn't leave until I knew he'd be okay," explained Glen. "Sorry I haven't called back to make another appointment. I was going to do that today, but then this happened and..." He spread his hands helplessly, and his throat tightened. "I thought...I thought it was bad. Really bad. Like he'd end up in a wheelchair or die."

"I imagine most people would feel the same after seeing a family member fall off a roof," reasoned Gustav. He studied Glen with quiet concern. "Are you all right? No, I don't think you are."

"Just trying to get over the residual terror of thinking my Dad was gonna die on us," excused Glen, trying to put up a brave front.

Gustav hesitated. Glen had the feeling he was seeing deeper into him than appearances would suggest. "Do you want to go somewhere quiet for a while? Pull your thoughts together while your dad is resting? I know the hospital environment isn't exactly conducive to relaxing anxiety."

Realizing he was being given an invitation rather than a suggestion, Glen perked up the slightest bit. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

-To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

Glen tried to get Levi to go with them, but the man refused to leave his mate's side. Gustav offered to have a meal from the cafeteria brought up for Levi, and then he and Glen left the hospital to walk across the street to the Greek cafe Dylan had mentioned. It was a quiet atmosphere, just the sort of surroundings Glen needed to calm his mind. There were flickering candles on the tables, lending an romantic air to the place along with the soft ambience of the music.

"It's my treat," Gustav insisted when Glen started looking at the menu.

The younger male glanced up from the menu at his handsome companion, and he nodded. "Thank you. I've never eaten here before."

"I have. In fact, I've eaten here a lot." Gustav smiled in a faintly rueful manner. "I think I've tried everything on the menu."

"I guess it's a convenient place to go for you, being so close by your hospital. How's the falafel here?"

"Very nice, especially with the hummus. I think I'll go for the lamb souvlaki, myself. Here comes our waiter. What would you like to drink?"

Glen could think of about a thousand different alcoholic beverages he could use right now, but being under twenty-one, he probably couldn't get away with ordering one. "Just water, I guess."

Gustav watched him. "Nothing stronger?"

Glen met the older male's eyes, and he picked up on the suggestion. "Maybe some mead?"

Gustav nodded, and he ordered two honey meads, a Greek coffee for himself and a glass of ice water for Glen. The waiter merely glanced at Glen, and then he took the order down. Mildly surprised that the man hadn't asked to see some ID, Glen wondered if the waiter would have taken the order if he'd asked for it himself. He supposed it didn't matter.

They lapsed into silence while they waited for their drinks. Needing to take his mind off his Dad's condition, Glen decided to inquire about something that he'd noticed for a while now. "You've got an accent. Where are you originally from? Your name sounds Scandinavian."

"I'm originally from Sweden," answered the doctor.

"Oh. Well that makes sense. I hear a lot of good doctors come from there."

Gustav smiled a little. "Do they?"

Glen's heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed to work moisture back into his mouth. "That's what I've heard, anyway."

"I can't say that I knew many doctors in my home country, aside from my fellow medical students."

The drinks came, and Glen thankfully had his first sip of his mead. It was sweet and thick against his tongue, and he chased it with a swallow of water. Once Gustav ordered their food and the waiter left again, the young man carried on the conversation, eager to learn more about Gustav. "So what brought you here? It sounds like you're a first generation immigrant."

"I am," confirmed Gustav. "I left Sweden on a visa after earning my medical degree."

"Any family?"

"Just my sister Anka. She still lives in Sweden."

"Oh. Think she'll ever move here?"

Gustav paused, and then he shook his head. "I doubt it. She has no reason to, but we do travel to visit each other when we can."

Glen couldn't imagine living so far away from his family. Not for such an extended period of time, anyway. Realizing that this was the perfect window to ask other burning questions on his mind, he took a risk and went for it.

"What about your marriage? Was your wife from Sweden too, or was she Paradisian?"

"She was from here," replied Gustav. He tilted his head again. "You have a lot of questions."

Glen winced. "Sorry. I'm just trying to keep my mind off stuff, and I don't know much about you."

"It's all right." Gustav gave him one of his subtle smiles. "Well, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but under the circumstances I think it should be all right."

Glen leaned forward a little, anticipating an interesting bit of information. He had another sip of his mead. "Go on. I can keep things to myself."

Gustav postponed it for a moment longer, and then he took a swallow of his own drink before wiping his mouth and speaking again. "My wife and I weren't in what you would call a conventional relationship."

Confused but interested, Glen raised a brow. "By whose standards?"

"Society's, truth be told. We didn't marry for love. It was more of a business arrangement between the two of us."

Glen's heart thumped in his chest. Maybe this meant Gustav wasn't into women at all. "So you two never did it? I mean, you never slept together as man and wife?"

"No," admitted Gustav.

"But how could that work?" Glen wondered aloud, trying to make sense of it. "What kind of business arrangement involves taking vows at the alter, except political unions?"

"In a way ours was political," explained Gustav.

"How so?" pressed Glen, now forgetting everything around him save this man and the intricacies of his past.

"For one thing, she was gay." Gustav smirked. "And I was a foreigner trying to gain citizenship so that I could live and work here in this country."

"I still don't get it," Glen hedged. "I can see what you'd have to gain by marrying her, but what would a lesbian get out of marrying some foreign guy?"

"A beard."

"A what?" Then it hit Glen. "Oh. _Ohhh_! So you needed a way to stay here permanently, and she needed people to think she was straight."

"That's the truth of it, boiled down to its simplest form."

"Who was she trying to hide her sexuality from?" Glen wondered.

"Her family." Gustav paused when the waiter brought their food, and he continued on after the plates were set down and they were left alone again. "Laura stood to gain a substantial inheritance from her grandfather, but he was a conservative man. He put forth the condition that she would only be entitled to her inheritance upon marriage. Fortunately, children weren't part of his requirements. I imagine he didn't think he would live long enough to meet any great grandchildren she might produce, so he waved that part."

Gustav took another pause to have a bite of his food, and then he went on to explain further. "I'm not exactly proud to have gotten my citizenship through marriage, but at the time I didn't have the means to cover such an extensive legal process. I like to think that my work in the medical field helps to make up for my less than honest method of acquiring my documentation."

"Sure," agreed Glen. "I'll bet you've saved plenty of lives. That's fair."

"I'm glad you don't judge me."

Glen shrugged. "I'm not a stickler for following the rules, as long as you're not hurting anyone. So what happened after you got married? You just put on the act for a while and then split up?"

"Essentially. We stayed together for about a year after Laura got her inheritance...long enough to put up a reasonable show. We still keep in contact, but we've never been more than friends."

"Oh. How did you two meet?"

"We were in the same study group when I came here for research. After a while we befriended each other, started talking about our problems and realized we could help one another out."

Now that Glen was hearing it, the arrangement didn't sound half-bad. "Did you date other people while you were together, or did you both just abstain until you divorced?"

"We very discreetly had our own side dalliances," answered Gustav. "She's with one of her girlfriends now, as a matter of fact."

"What about you?" Glen dared to ask. "You said you're single, but have you ever thought about hooking back up with one of your old girlfriends...or boyfriends?"

"Boyfriends," confirmed Gustav softly, "and no. The relations I had while I was married were casual. Anything more than that would have been too complicated. If I were in a commitment, things would have been expected of me that I couldn't always guarantee."

Gustav met his eyes then, and there was that same smolder in them that Glen had seen before on the day of his last appointment. "How is your issue doing? I can detect a lingering heat scent from you, but it isn't too intense."

It hadn't occurred to Glen that his pheromones would still be more active than average. Being near Gustav probably stirred them up some as well. He looked away, suddenly self-conscious. He wished he was still mostly ignorant about alpha and omega sex, because then he might not be experiencing this insecurity that he wasn't used to.

"It's mostly faded. I was going to wait one more day before having my appointment, but well...then my dad fell off the roof. Do I stink or something?" He didn't think so, given the way alphas typically reacted to his scent. Maybe it wasn't a matter of it being a pleasant fragrance, though. Maybe their reactions were purely on a chemical level and he really smelled like an armpit without realizing it.

Gustav chuckled and shook his head. "No. You don't stink. Not at all."

Relieved to hear that, Glen ate a bite of his falafel wrap. He waited until he'd chewed and swallowed before responding. "Had me wondering for a second. I'm sure we should try and schedule my next appointment, but I need to be there for my parents, too."

"Why don't we compromise then?" suggested Gustav. "You're already here, and I have nothing else scheduled for the day. We can take care of that when we get back to the hospital. That way, the next step will be taken care of and you can focus on your family while waiting for the next batch of trial suppressants."

"That sounds good to me." Glen's face fell as he thought about how much longer he might have to wait before finding a prescription that really worked. "What if nothing does?"

"Pardon?" Gustav leaned forward a little to hear him better.

"The suppressants, I mean. What if they just can't hack it anymore and eventually stop working completely for me?"

Gustav scratched his temple in thought. "I won't say that isn't a possibility, remote as it is. Let's try not to worry about that until it actually happens, though. Blocking omega pheromones can be tricky, but I've only heard of two cases of suppressants not working at all."

Glen tried to take heart in that. Hopefully their next attempt would work before another heat cycle struck. His seemed to be fairly regular if not controlled, with occasional mini-heats when he got excited and the bigger heats occurring once per month. At least the last one was over with, and he really did believe Gustav and Hange were both doing their best to help him.

* * *

They released Erwin after two days of observation. Glen couldn't stay for the rest of his dad's hospitalization, much as he wanted to. He still had studies to catch up on and classes to make up. His thoughts strayed even more to Dr. Eklund as he waited for the call confirming that a new sample of suppressants were ready for him to try. He'd promised Gustav that he wouldn't tell anyone about what he'd shared with him at dinner. Glen didn't personally think the man would get into trouble over it if anyone found out about how he obtained his citizenship. It had been long enough and it wasn't like Gustav was the only person in the country to become a citizen through marriage. Still, he respected his doctor's request and kept it to himself.

This semester didn't have many on-campus classes for Glen to attend, which was a relief for him. He knew of at least three alphas and one omega at his college that were interested in him, and he carefully avoided encouragement. One of them he'd gone on a couple of dates with before, but now it was too risky for him to do that again. The last thing he wanted was to get caught in a heat cycle while on a date with an alpha. His first time to have sex had been enough for him, and regardless of his attraction for alphas, Glen was in no hurry to repeat that experience.

Besides, he wasn't really interested in any of the guys that were into him. There was only one man he would consider dating right now, and even that was a highly doubtful possibility. The age difference, the doctor/patient relationship and Glen's own aversion to the thought of having sex again were all detriments. He focused on his studies, took care of himself when his omega urges were on the rise and tried to be patient. Meanwhile, he had both of his parents to help care for, and Levi in particular was being a pain in the ass.

"Papa, you're still not supposed to be lifting anything heavier than ten pounds," Glen heard his brother admonish one morning while he was getting ready for one of his on-campus classes.

"I'm not lifting it," retorted Levi. "I'm pushing it."

"Damn it," groused Glen, putting down his comb and marching out of the main bathroom.

As he suspected, he found his father in the living room trying to use the vacuum cleaner. Kolby stood there trying to block the way, probably afraid to try and wrestle the appliance from Levi while his back injury was still healing.

Glen pulled the plug out of the wall, cutting the vacuum cleaner off and gaining a glare from Levi. He refused to be cowed this time. "You and Dad are both supposed to be resting," reminded Glen. "Using a vacuum cleaner, sweeping or mopping puts as much strain on your back as lifting."

"That's right," agreed Kolby. "No twisting, bending, lifting, pushing or pulling until Hange says it's okay. Leave the cleaning to us."

"There were crumbs on the floor," excused Levi. "I don't want them to get mashed into the carpet."

Glen struggled to retain patience. "We've got five people living in this house. Two of you are out of commission and one's a little kid. Plus we have people coming over all the time to help out. Crumbs are going to happen, Papa. Dirt's going to get tracked in. I know we don't keep the place as pristine as you do, but we're doing our best. We can't grab the vacuum cleaner every time someone walks through the living room or eats something, okay?"

"That's why I'm doing it," Levi insisted stubbornly. "This thing weighs nothing. I can push it a couple of times across the floor without killing myself."

"Every time you try to do that, you risk hurting yourself more," Kolby reasoned. "Please, just be reasonable and try to put up with a little mess until your back is better."

"It's not a little mess. It's gonna attract bugs, and then we'll have to get an exterminator."

At the end of his rope, Glen blew up. "Enough with the bugs, already! Enough with the crumbs. God, you're so anal about housekeeping, it's driving me crazy. Me and Kolby are under a lot of pressure with academics, trying to keep the place clean enough for your satisfaction, running all your errands and taking care of Alex. Just...just go to your room!"

Levi blinked at him, and that usually impassive expression he was known for darkened warningly. "Excuse me, did you just tell me to go to my fucking room?"

Glen hesitated, his frustration giving way to intimidation. Even in his condition and wearing a set of blue pajamas, Levi could still harpoon someone with that stare and make them want to cower.

"Levi," came a low, deep voice from the direction of the hallway.

Glen checked a sigh of relief. Erwin was up, and he was using that firm, reasonable tone of voice he often employed when talking people down. The twins looked to their dad hopefully, trusting him to talk some sense into Levi. He stood at the threshold of the hallway, also dressed in pajamas and sans his back brace. He wore it when he had to be up and about, but not when he was resting. His golden hair was mussed, and he had morning stubble on his jaw.

Glen shot a look at his father, and he almost snickered. Obviously to Levi, Erwin cut quite the dashing, sexy picture in his disheveled state. The way the top of the alpha's gray pajama shirt was hanging partway open probably helped encourage that impression.

"Levi," said Erwin again, "come back to bed. Alex is already off to school and the twins need to get ready for their classes. You're in no condition to clean, so leave it to others."

Levi hesitated. He stared Erwin up and down, and Erwin stared right back in the same manner.

"Stop looking at each other like a pair of newlyweds," Glen blurted, exasperated. "You two can't even bend over right now, so no funny business."

Erwin was the one to blush at that, and he cleared his throat. "Define 'funny', son. I'm just trying to convince Levi to rest, as we both should be doing. That's what you want, isn't it?"

"What I want is to come home and find you both still in one piece," muttered Glen. "I mean it; don't break each other while we're gone. Come on, Kolby; we can stop on the way to campus and pick up some breakfast."

"Ah, Glen..."

"What?" Glen stopped at his brother's uncomfortable, warning tone.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?"

Glen looked down at himself, only now realizing he was still in his bathrobe. That was how bonkers his parents and the whole general situation was driving him. Too much more of this, and Gustav's concern about him being involuntarily committed would become a blatant reality.

* * *

The situation at home started to settle down after a while, once everyone got into the new temporary routine. Erwin and Levi began to adapt to the limitations on their activities, and they found ways to combat boredom and frustration that didn't involve straining their injuries. They played cards in the bed, had movie marathons and enjoyed soaks in the hot tub in moderation. Hange came by every few days to check in on them and help out around the house.

Erwin's injury was more extensive and despite his heightened alpha biology, he required more time to recover. The paid time off Erwin received from his instructor job helped keep them from falling into a financial hole. In addition, Levi had gotten into the stock market, and he'd learned how to pull in money from that.

"If we keep this up without any further medical catastrophes," Levi predicted one night while in bed, "you might be able to retire for real in a couple of years. We could both play the stock market to keep fluffing the bank. That combined with the rent we get from Mom's place and some smart investing should keep us reasonably cushioned."

"Hmm." Erwin put an arm around him, holding the half-folded newspaper with his other hand. "When exactly did you turn into such an investor? It seemed to happen behind my back."

Levi gave a humorless smirk, and he rested his cheek against Erwin's shoulder. "When it really hit me that we're both getting old, I guess. I started dabbling in stocks after Glen and Kolby started college, but since our back injuries, I've been doing more research. I never had a comfortable life as a kid, but I don't want us to end up spending the last years of our lives working until we drop. I don't want to have to depend on the kids if we don't have to, either. We deserve retirement, damn it. Especially you."

Erwin chuckled, but there was a somber quality to it. "What will we do with ourselves once this retirement plan is set fully into motion? We're both men of action. I think we would get bored."

"We can travel," suggested Levi with a shrug. "We can be one of those old fart couples that goes to a resort and watches the sunset together. We could get a deal on an RV and go on road trips, or go on cruises. Shit like that. Isn't that what old couples do together once they've done their job raising brats and busting their asses?"

"Yes, but wouldn't all of those things cut into the financial security that you're worrying about?"

"I'm not saying we've gotta pick the most luxurious ocean liners or state of the art camper," explained Levi. "We can go for the budget packages and buy our travel home used. I'm just tossing out a few suggestions to keep us active without breaking the bank. You're the genius when it comes to saving money on a few luxuries. I'm sure you can figure it out."

"I see." Erwin smiled a little more genuinely, and he nuzzled the crown of Levi's head. He sighed into his omega's dark hair—which had gained a couple more strands of silver in over the past few months. "Some of those ideas sound romantic. I like it."

"I figure the least I can do is indulge you a little more in our old age," excused Levi softly. "Of course, this all depends on how we swing it and if we can avoid breaking a hip or something before we've made the goal."

"Then I'll do my best to go on this journey with you," vowed Erwin. He frowned suddenly, his mind going to their sons. One of them in particular stood out in his thoughts, as usual. "Levi, have you noticed that Glen seems to be spending an unusual amount of time with Dr. Eklund? Not just visiting with him outside of appointments, but chatting with him a lot on the phone."

Levi stiffened slightly. "Of course I've noticed. He took a liking to him from the start, and we've already discussed this. I thought you were okay with it."

"I was," confided Erwin, "but I was also under the impression that Glen was just excited to make a new friend. Besides, Eklund has taken over the lion's share of Glen's Omega Care since Hange went into partial retirement. I've been convincing myself that it's nothing more than communication between them. Friendly, but based on business more than anything else. Now I think there's more to it."

"You think they've gotten involved," surmised Levi.

"I'm not sure," admitted Erwin. "I think Glen has a penchant for noticing alphas in an older age bracket, and to be perfectly honest, Dr. Eklund is an attractive man. He doesn't strike me as the sort to take advantage, but I'm worried that Glen could develop an unhealthy obsession with him."

Levi sighed, and he pressed his forehead against Erwin's chest. "You and me both, big stuff. Is it too fucked up that I'm relieved it isn't just me worrying about that?"

Erwin chuckled, and he rubbed Levi's back. "No. I've been trying to avoid talking about it, because the subject usually provokes debates and arguments between us."

"Tch...you're right," agreed the omega. He took his head off Erwin's chest and tilted it back to gaze up at the blond. "We're always so quick to criticize each other when one of us starts worrying about Glen, but we're both equally guilty of doing it. I always told myself I wouldn't turn into some smothering helicopter parent if we ever had an omega kid, but here I am doing it anyhow. How the fuck did it come to this, Erwin? I'm doing everything I told myself I'd never do."

"I know," sighed Erwin. "And so am I. When we started this family, I told myself that I wouldn't hold a different rule set for any omegas we produced together...or girl children, unlikely though I knew the second possibility was. I find myself going back on that promise daily with Glen. The reality of raising an omega is quite different from expectation. I honestly don't know how Mike and Nanaba have managed to be as liberal as they have with Penny."

"Probably has something to do with the fact that she's been sweethearts with a family friend since before she really started blooming," deduced Levi softly. "I know I'd feel better if Glen hooked up with someone like his twin. Kolby's a good kid, and I'm not just saying that because he's ours."

"True, but Glen...er..."

"Glen isn't," Levi finished for his suddenly uncomfortable partner. "It's okay to say it, Erwin."

"He isn't a bad kid," protested the blond, flushing.

"No, but he's a little rebel." Levi smirked at Erwin. "If he can find a way to stick it to the system, he will. Guess who he gets that from."

Erwin laughed softly, and he brushed his lips across Levi's forehead. "He's definitely your son. What are we to do with him?"

Levi shrugged. "Short of strapping him into a chastity belt and putting him on a leash, there's not much more we _can_ do. We give our advice, support him when we can and hope to hell our parenting techniques help him make the right choices for himself in life. It's on us to accept the fact that he's an adult now and we can't make his decisions for him. It sucks."

"Yes, it does. And just think; we may end up living through it all again with Alexander once he's matured enough to reveal which type he is."

"Stop reminding me," Levi grunted. "It doesn't help."

* * *

It struck again at one of the worst possible moments, just as Glen feared. He was sitting in class for one of his on-campus courses when that feeling of restlessness he'd been having all day magnified itself threefold. He muttered a curse under his breath and impulsively cupped his groin beneath the desk as his crotch started to bulge. The instructor's words started running together, and Glen became hyper aware of the scent coming from the nearest alphas in the classroom.

He took his hand off his crotch hastily, aware that while the desk over his lap did provide some cover, the instructor could probably see beneath it from his vantage point at the podium. Glen self-consciously crossed his legs in the hope that doing so might help to hide his condition. It was damned uncomfortable to make that move with a boner; he winced at the pinch in his junk resulting from it.

Discreetly, Glen leaned over to the right to start digging through his backpack. He kept his attention divided between his task and the instructor while he searched for the bottle of flavored spring water and the medication he'd packed in there. He found the former after a moment, but he had to put his full attention on the backpack to locate the pill containers stored in one of the inner pockets of the backpack.

Glen felt no relief when he liberated the two prescription bottles from his pack and checked the labels to be sure he hadn't mistaken one of them for the aspirin he also kept on him. One was his ill-working suppressants, while the other was a mild depressant for calming anxiety. He found that the anxiety medication sometimes helped, even if the suppressants couldn't do much for him. Gustav said that excitement was a natural symptom of omega hormone shifts, and curbing that excitement therefore could take the edge off things.

Glen popped one of each pill into his mouth and gulped down some of his drink to rinse them down. He'd already taken a suppressant today, but it clearly wasn't doing the job and he'd been assured that it was safe to take multiple doses spaced out by four hours, if needed.

Sadly, the medication wouldn't work immediately, so Glen drank a little more water, put it away and did his best to tune out the anxious lust nagging at him. What pissed him off the most about it was when it had no apparent focus. It made sense to get aroused when viewing or in the presence of someone he found attractive, but moments like this made the young man feel like the universe was just fucking with him.

He tried to focus his concentration on the lesson, tried to push away the increasing restlessness. The slight brush of his clothing against his skin made it tingle. His nipples tightened and started poking against his shirt. Glen practiced a technique he'd been taught, attempting to steady his breathing and detach himself from his body.

 _~It's just physical. It's_ my _body._ I _control_ it _, not the other way around. My mind is stronger. I'm in charge. I just have to...I have to...~_

"Get laid," finished Glen aloud, not even realizing he'd spoken.

"Excuse me, Mr. Smith?"

Glen looked up from the tablet he'd been staring blankly at. The professor was staring at him expectantly, and even though the man had gray in his dark hair and the facial lines of a mature man past his prime, Glen observed he was a handsome old fart.

Shit. Not again. Why was it always the older guys that caught his interest the most? He never ordinarily looked twice at this instructor, but now he was noticing things about him that didn't typically catch his attention. Unbidden, a mental image of Gustav sprang to Glen's mind, and he started to compare the doctor to his professor.

"Glen?" Now the instructor's faintly annoyed tone had changed to one of mild concern. "Are you feeling all right? You look flushed."

"I need to be excused," said Glen hastily, noticing that one of his nearest classmates—an alpha—had leaned toward him a bit with a curious look on his face. He was giving off omega pheromones. He didn't think anyone would try to jump him in plain sight in the middle of the classroom; guys that age had more self-restraint and common sense than the ones in middle school and high school. However, sexual assault on college campuses was a real issue.

It sure as hell didn't help that he'd just said: "Get laid" out loud in front of everyone.

Not wanting to tempt fate and draw too much attention from the alphas, Glen got up. He didn't wait for the professor's response. No matter how obscure his earlier comment was, the omega could bet it had perked someone's interest in more ways than one.

Glen gathered his things and retreated without another word. The soft murmurs of speculation from his classmates followed him as Glen climbed the auditorium steps to the exit. He took a second to get his bearings, struggling against mild dizziness as his body heat spiked.

Maybe it wasn't just any older man that set him off. Maybe age wasn't the catalyst for him, but rather the experience and wisdom that came with it. Rebellious though Glen was, he admitted to himself that the self-assured confidence that some authoritative males had was attractive to him.

That only served to confuse him more, though. Either he wanted his independence or he didn't, right? How could he be so drawn to men that posed a risk to that?

All of these thoughts and more were conducting a war in the young omega's head as he hurried to the nearest bathroom to try and relieve some of his symptoms.

* * *

Levi wasn't completely surprised when Glen came home from classes earlier than expected. Even as an omega, he could detect the scent coming from his son, and he knew poor Glen was again on the verge of a heat cycle. He said nothing when Glen poked his head through the front door, cast a furtive look around and then hurried off to his bedroom with a muttered excuse that he would finish the day's classes through recorded live stream from the college web site.

Levi sighed, shaking his head as he finished cutting a couple slices of lemon to add to the chamomile tea he'd brewed for himself and Erwin. He sometimes felt nostalgic for the old days when he and Erwin were just raising Dylan. Bringing up a single alpha was so much simpler. Not that he didn't love all of his sons more than life itself, but trying to get two boys through puberty at the same time had probably taken years off Levi's lifespan. He'd known what to do with Kolby, but for Glen both Levi and Erwin had to start from scratch. In fact, the traces of gray in their hair could be attributed almost entirely to the special challenges of bringing up the twins.

Thankfully, Alex was much easier to handle than his two middle brothers had been. In fact, Levi and Erwin often got asked how they'd managed to produce such a little angel. Erwin used to joke that there must have been a mistake at the hospital and Alex got switched with their real baby. He stopped doing that quickly when Alex got old enough to talk and overheard him say that one day. The poor kid was so upset that it took them hours to convince him that Erwin was just teasing and he really was their son.

"Big meathead," muttered Levi with quiet fondness, a faint smile curving his lips at the memory of how guilt-ridden Erwin had been.

"Did I just hear my name?"

Levi gave a little start, so wrapped up in memories that he hadn't heard his mate's staggering approach or detected his scent. He turned to look at the blond, who had lurched into the kitchen. Beneath the sparkle of amusement in his gorgeous blue eyes was a sliver of pain he couldn't completely mask from Levi.

"You shouldn't be moving around right now," admonished Levi sternly. "It's only been a half hour since your last walk around the house, and Hange says you're supposed to wait at least two hours to get out of bed again each time you do it...except for using the bathroom. You need to rest."

"Says the man who insisted on getting up to make tea even though you're hobbling as much as I am," countered Erwin dryly. "I just wanted to help, if I can."

"It's already done." Levi dropped the lemon slices into the tea, and he picked up both cups by the handles. "Now get back in bed and I'll bring these into our room for us."

Erwin tried to shrug, grunted and then grimaced. "You're the boss," he said tightly.

Levi sighed. "See what I mean? You're pushing it too hard, blondie."

"All right, point taken. I'll go." Erwin started to slowly turn and make his way back to their bedroom, but he paused and turned his head left and right, sniffing the air. He then turned back around to face Levi with a curious, puzzled expression on his face.

"Levi, maybe it's the medication talking, but I could swear there's a smell in the air that I haven't smelled from you since after Alexander was born."

"Huh?" At once, Levi realized what Erwin was talking about, and he almost laughed. "Heh. You idiot. That isn't me you're smelling; it's our son."

Erwin frowned.

"Glen," provided Levi. "You remember our younger twin, right? The omega brat?"

"Don't be facetious," grunted Erwin. His cheeks colored the slightest bit. "Of course I knew who you meant. I'm just confused. Glen is in class right now, isn't he?"

"He came home early," Levi explained. "He didn't say much, but he didn't really have to. He's going to finish his class attendance for the day on the internet. My guess is his hormones are having a mosh pit right now and it was too much for him to handle on campus."

Erwin's expression of consternation deepened. "Poor imp. Damn it, Levi, I feel so helpless. I can't do anything for him that I haven't already done. I can't even comfort him, given how shy he is around alphas when he's in this condition."

"I know." Levi's concern and frustration matched his husband's. "Even I could smell it when he came through here, so it must be going pretty strong."

Erwin seemed to consider the matter, and then his eyes lit up a little. "I can't be of comfort to him, but perhaps you can."

"I don't see how," argued Levi, brows pinched. "I can't make it go away anymore than you can."

"No, but you're an omega," reasoned Erwin. "Not only that; you're the single most influential omega in Glen's life. He might be a stinker eighty percent of the time, but he looks up to his father...admires you, even. Maybe you should talk to him. See if he'll open up to you. If nothing else, it might help him feel a little more secure."

"But what the hell do I say to him?" Levi asked. "We've already had the discussion of the birds and the bees. I've taught him everything I could about his body and what to expect as he matures."

"I'm not talking about clinical discussions of biology." Erwin smiled at him, and though it was a little strained from his physical discomfort, it was full of love. "I think what Glen needs the most right now is a sympathetic ear. Someone that understands what he's going through and perhaps, someone that can offer him some advice if he wants it. I can't think of anyone better to provide that for our son than you, Levi."

"There you go again with the poetic words," muttered Levi. "I'm not like you though, Erwin. I can't transform a pile of shit into diamonds with creative language the way you can."

"I think you're better at talking to people than you think," insisted the blond, "especially when it comes to your family. You've taken up arms for our children. You pulled yourself out of hell so that you could be a father to Dylan. You've given me everything I could ask for in a mate and even managed to fulfill needs I didn't even know I had before I met you. I know you aren't comfortable with me pointing it out, but it needs to be stated for the record that you _are_ a supportive rock to this family."

Levi's neck and face heated, and he lowered his gaze. "I..."

A big hand covered the omega's left shoulder, and another followed suit with the right. "You can do this, Levi. You never fail to come through for our kids."

"But...the tea..."

"Take it into Glen's room with you," suggested Erwin. "He can have my cup. Maybe it can soothe him."

Levi very much doubted that. While Glen did share a remarkable likeness to him both in personality and looks, he'd never adopted Levi's love of tea.

"He'll probably just make a face at me for offering it."

Erwin winked at him. "Maybe, but the offer should at least demonstrate your concern. Show him you care. Be there for him, love."

Levi bit his lip unconsciously. Erwin made it sound so simple, but Levi hadn't told him that in watching Glen suffer through this time in his life, dark memories crept up on him. Memories of a time when Levi was a prisoner in the home of an obsessed rapist. Of being utterly helpless, robbed of autonomy of his own body, shamed and abused both by his captor and his own biology. He and Erwin had never disclosed that part of his past to their children other than Dylan. Levi still thought of it from time to time, whether he wanted to or not. It lived with him, and it would for the rest of his life no matter how good things were now.

"All right," he decided at length. "I'll try. Now go and lay down. I don't need you fucking up your back even more on top of all the other drama."

* * *

Glen couldn't concentrate on his studies. He tried to stay focused on the stream he was watching but everything just went over his head. He gave up after backing up three times to try and absorb what the instructor was saying, and he turned off his tablet and put it aside. Just as he lay down and curled up into a ball, there was a ponderous knock on his bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, it's me," came Levi's voice. "Mind if I come in?"

Glen sighed. It wasn't like his father to be a helicopter parent, but he knew the man had to have some questions about him coming home so early, unannounced.

"Sure. Come on in."

"Help me out here, brat," came the response. "I've got both hands full, so I can't get the door open."

Frowning, Glen got out of bed and went to the door to open it up. Levi was standing there with two steaming mugs in his hands. Glen stepped aside for the older male, and he closed the door after Levi stepped through the threshold. He watched as his father placed one of the cups on the bedside stand and then took a seat on the half-made bed.

"Chamomile," explained Levi with a nod at the extra cup. "Thought it might help you relax a little."

Glen's nose scrunched up, but he shrugged and sat down next to his father. He picked up the cup, sniffed at its contents and then dutifully took a ginger sip of the beverage. It wasn't so bad. Levi had flavored it with some honey and lemon. Glen supposed he could stomach it.

He watched Levi from the corner of his eye as he sipped his tea, wondering what the man was going to say. Levi was looking around at the interior of Glen's bedroom, his eyes lingering briefly on the posters of favorite rock bands displayed on the eastern wall.

"This is a shit time in your life," Levi said softly, taking his gaze off of the decor to look at Glen. "I know. I'm not too old to remember my own struggles with hormones when I was at your age. I may not have had a heat myself for a while, but it's not something I think I'll ever forget. It fucks up concentration, saps your energy and takes you over."

Glen lowered the cup, and he nodded. "Yeah."

Levi turned to face him fully, drawing one leg up onto the bed and folding it. "You're in a worse predicament than I was back then, but...I can still relate."

"How?" questioned Glen. "Papa, it doesn't seem to end. I'm in this partial heat state almost all the time now. How am I supposed to get through college like this? How am I supposed to have a life _at all_?"

Levi took a slow breath, and he lowered his gaze. "I _do_ understand, kid. I'm not just giving you lip service here. My first heats might not have been as severe as yours are, but when I was a little older then you, I went through a period in my life where I was in an almost constant state of full heat."

Glen's mouth fell open. He couldn't even imagine such torture. "When was this?"

"Doesn't matter," answered the older omega. "It's a time I do my best not to think about. It only lasted for a few months, but to me it felt like years. Every minute of a heat cycle seems to stretch out; especially when it goes un-relieved. It can be agony. No matter how caring the alphas in our life try to be, that's something they'll never understand. Betas too, for that matter. It's a burden specific to our kind."

Glen absorbed this, staring at his father with a new perspective. Levi didn't often share details of his past. He'd explained to the twins that he was an addict, and even though he'd beaten the habit years ago with Erwin's help, it wasn't something that could be "cured". Glen hadn't thought about it much recently, but now he wondered if having an addiction was similar to having a heat cycle. The body wanted something so badly it could be debilitating, but giving into those cravings and seeking the best relief could be both harmful and dangerous.

It was an eye-opening revelation for Glen. He knew his father understood him better than most, but it had never really occurred to him that Levi himself had suffered and _still did_ suffer in ways that nobody around him could truly relate to.

"Papa," whispered Glen past a tightening throat, "were you using some kind of metaphor for your old addiction just now? I mean when you talked about being in heat for months."

"I only wish," sighed Levi. "The addiction is related to that time period, though. My situation back then was a result of the substance abuse. It fucked up my natural functions and put me in an un-natural state of heat for a while. I never talk about it because like I said; it's a chapter in my life that I'd sooner erase, if I could."

"Then why are you talking about it now?" asked Glen.

Levi met his gaze, and his lips thinned with a sort of determination, as if he was struggling with something. "Because you need to know that what's happening with your body isn't your fault. It's frustrating, I know, but it isn't going to last forever. There's nothing wrong with you, imp. It's just a phase you have to get through, and one day it's just gonna be a bad memory. You need to be told that, and you need to know there's someone in your life that knows what you're going through."

Glen stared at his father, and all of the frustration, confusion and guilt came to a head. His vision blurred and to his horror, he started to cry. Glen tried to get his emotions back under control, but he was literally exhausted from his struggles. The tears kept coming, and he didn't resist when his father's strong arms went around him to pull him close.

It was unusual for Levi to embrace people. He'd done it more readily when Glen and Kolby were kids, but once they grew up Levi stopped doing it except under special circumstances—probably of the mind that it might embarrass his sons. Apparently now was one of those special moments, and Levi held Glen supportively while the blond omega cried it out. If the action of embracing him hurt Levi's back, he didn't show it.

Glen wanted to confess everything to Levi, to tell him about that alpha he'd stupidly hooked up with at the festival, about how painful it had been. He wanted to ask Levi if it was supposed to be like that, or if there was just something wrong with him.

He couldn't, though. Glen didn't want to see the disappointment in Levi's eyes that would surely follow such a revelation. He didn't want to spoil the way his parents saw him. They thought he had more sense than he actually did. Maybe they even entertained the notion that he would save himself for marriage, or at least wait until after college to have sex.

Whether it was reasonable of him to think so or not, Glen was more afraid of how his folks might look at him differently than he was of his own body. He couldn't tell them. Not yet. Dylan was the only one who knew, and Glen trusted him to keep it a secret. What he could do, however, was ask Levi some questions. He just had to be careful not to reveal too much.

"Papa, is it normal to be drawn to an authoritative alpha even when you want independence?"

To Glen's relief, Levi immediately nodded. "Yeah, it's normal. You're not alone in that."

"Why, though?" Glen wondered, sniffing. At least the tears were stopping. "How can I contradict myself like that? I don't want to feel like anyone's 'property' but alphas with confidence and authority still get me hot. It makes no fucking sense!"

Levi allowed the expletive to slide, as he always tended to these days whenever Glen's moods gave him a loose tongue. Either it was because Glen was of age now, or because Levi himself deployed vulgarities so often he just figured it was natural for a son of his to do the same.

"Think of it as a biological directive," offered Levi after a moment's thought. "It's more of an impulse than conscious choice, and most omegas go through moments like that. It doesn't really matter what your 'type' is. Whether you like the strong silent ones or the sensitive and sweet guys, omega instincts can muddy the waters. Reproductive and survival urges push for the strongest mates, the ones most likely to give us lots of brats, provide for and protect the family."

Levi pulled away and looked at Glen, wiping away his tears with the pads of his thumbs. "I struggled with the same thing at your age, kiddo. It pissed me off that I didn't have complete control over my body and urges. Made me feel like a slave sometimes. Matter of fact, before I met your dad I used to date guys that were the exact opposite of what my instincts pushed for, just to prove I was the boss of me and not my hormones."

"And how did that work out for you?" asked Glen. "What kind of guys did you used to go for?"

Levi shrugged. "The kind I could walk all over, basically. Betas, alphas...I even had a little fling with another omega once, but that was short-lived. It made me feel empowered for a while to defy what I considered mindless mating instincts, but none of the relationships I had were really satisfying to me. It took Erwin coming into my life to finally make me see it wasn't just my hormones directing my preferences. The strong and authoritative ones can also be sensitive and sweet. They're just tough to find."

"But how do you know the difference?" pressed Glen. "How do you figure out what's just reproductive urges and what's really you?"

"That can be tricky," admitted Levi. "For me, it took a lot of soul searching after hitting rock bottom. I had to go through some spiritual and physical healing. Had to get my shit straight before I could untangle my feelings and decide what was real and what was omega instincts. I also had some trust issues to work out, but you know about that time of my life."

Glen nodded. His parents had met under unusual circumstances. Erwin was leading a drug raid when he found Levi in the targeted residency, higher than a kite and in an advanced stage of massive drug addiction. According to his parents, Erwin got Levi help rather than arrest him for substance abuse. Eventually Levi got clean and they started dating, which led to moving in together, conceiving Dylan and finally getting married.

"There's something I never told you about that time," Levi said softly. "When I say I know what you're going through, I'm not just blowing smoke up your ass."

Glen frowned at him. "I don't get it. What does your old drug habit have to do with heat cycles?"

Levi stared unblinkingly at him for a moment, and then he sighed in a tired manner. "The substances I was on back then did something to me. There was some kind of hormone booster mixed in with it. I was in heat almost constantly while I was on that shit."

Glen couldn't even fathom it. True, his cycles were irregular, strong and frequent, but to be in that condition _all the time_? "Holy shit, Papa."

"Yeah," agreed Levi gruffly. "Holy shit is right. I didn't just need the drugs; I needed sex all the time, too. It was like having two different addictions at once, and they were both equally overpowering. Trust me, I know how miserable you are sometimes, so you don't have to put on a tough front with me, okay?"

Glen nodded, still surprised by the admittance. "So how did that happen? Was it some kind of experimental drug, or did someone slip it to you and you just got addicted to it?"

The older omega hesitated, his pupils shrinking. It was the only change in Levi's expression and when he spoke again, he did so tonelessly. "I got involved with someone I shouldn't have. An alpha. He was a dealer. He...convinced me to try it; said it would enhance sex. I shouldn't have let myself get in a vulnerable position like that, but what's done is done. I probably wouldn't even be here today if it weren't for Erwin raiding that house. I was too far gone to help myself."

Glen always felt bad when the subject of how his parents met came up, but the happy ending always made it all right. Now all he could think about was what it must have been like for Levi to be more or less a sex slave to an abusive piece of shit, too stoned to even contemplate getting away.

"Papa...I never knew."

"Of course not," reasoned Levi. "How could you know what nobody's told you? The only reason I'm telling you now is because I want to give you some hope."

"'Hope'?" scoffed Glen. "What kind of hope is a story like _that_ supposed to inspire? It's horrible."

"Yeah, but I survived," Levi pointed out, "and my condition was caused by drugs, not nature. It's chaotic for you right now, but I need you to hang in there. It's not going to be like this forever, and eventually things will even out and get more manageable. Maybe not tomorrow and maybe not next week, but the doctors have assured us that you're healthy and nothing's abnormal. It's just a matter of time, Glen. There's nothing wrong with you; your body just needs to finish balancing itself out."

Glen dropped his eyes, and he hoped his father was right. "Now I understand better why you're so hardcore against substances. I mean, I knew before, but I always figured you were being kind of hypocritical. I thought you just made some bad choices and decided nobody should have any fun because of that. I didn't know the whole story."

Levi was silent, and Glen looked up again to see an odd look in the older male's eyes. He felt like there was something more, something Levi hadn't told him. A chill went through Glen as he contemplated what more there could be to Levi's past that he hadn't disclosed. He was a hard person to read on the best days, and as far as secrets went, Levi was probably the best at keeping them.

"Don't feel sorry for me," said Levi at last. "I got off the crooked path and came out better for it. I survived and what's more, I thrived and raised a hell of a family. Maybe you will too, someday."

When Glen made a face, Levi smirked and shrugged. "Or maybe not. You might not have kids of your own at all, and that's okay. Your dad might object, but his love for you is always gonna win out over any disappointment he feels in your life choices. Just remember it's _your_ life, not ours to dictate. We've got two other sons that might give us grandchildren, so that should take some pressure off you."

"Two? Er, aren't you forgetting someone?"

Levi shrugged again. "Dylan's not likely to have any kids unless some scientific miracle comes along that lets alphas make babies together, or unless he has a shift in preferences in the future. We've accepted that and he's happy where he is now. That's what parents worth their salt really give a shit about, in the end. We just want our kids happy and safe."

That did comfort Glen, and he relaxed. He scooted back a little, and then he did something he hadn't done since he was a little boy; he lay his head in Levi's lap, drawing strength from him.

"So maybe once my hormones finally stop doing the cha-cha, I'll be able to figure out what I really want from a guy. I still think it sucks that nature tries to trick us like that, though."

Levi stroked his hair, just as he used to in the past when Glen did this. "It isn't just omegas. Everyone goes through it at some point in their lives. Some people go through a lot of partners before they find the one they really want, so—and I can't believe I'm saying this—don't be afraid to play the field a bit."

Glen turned onto his back and blinked up at Levi. "Seriously? You're encouraging me to slut around? I'd have thought you'd want me to be more like Kolby and get into a steady relationship with someone."

Levi grimaced slightly. "I'm encouraging you to hold auditions, kiddo...not to turn into the town bike and get yourself in trouble. You're a smart guy, and you've got common sense. I can't look over your shoulder your whole life, and there's a lot of opportunities out there for you. Be sensible about it and be safe, but don't limit yourself when it comes to partner selection. If you ever end up mated, I'd rather it be to someone that's worthy of you than someone you just settled for out of convenience. Make them work for it, Glen. If they don't worship the ground you walk on, dump 'em."

"Sounds like an oxymoron," Glen pointed out. "First you tell me to date lots of guys, then you tell me to play hard to get. Which is it?"

"Heh. Both."

"That makes no sense, Papa."

Levi tilted his head slightly. "Oh? Tell me then, smart-ass; when was the last time you saw your dad win an argument with me?"

"Just the other day," Glen was quick to remind, "when you were being stubborn and tried to vacuum. Dad was the one that put a stop to it and got you back to bed."

"All right, so that was a bad analogy," grumbled Levi. "How about this; when was the last time you saw Erwin win an argument with me when it _wasn't_ about my well-being?"

Glen tried to think of an example, and he found he couldn't. As far as disagreements between his parents went, the only time he'd ever seen Levi back down was when it was a stupid argument to begin with and he knew he was just being prideful and stubborn.

"And when," Levi went on, "has your dad ever denied me anything I asked for?"

Glen shook his head, again at a loss. Erwin Smith would move mountains for his spouse if he could.

"Ever hear him raise his voice to me?" Levi added. "Cuss at me? Use any form of physical force with me outside the bedroom?"

"I could have lived without hearing that last part," huffed Glen. "No. Dad's always reasonable and respectful and loving with you. So what?"

"Because he's a true partner," explained Levi in satisfaction. "Not my keeper. We make all of our decisions together, even if it takes some time and negotiation to agree on something."

Glen sat up and faced Levi, curious and interested. "So even though he's the alpha and he could influence you..."

"He wouldn't dare try," finished Levi for him, confident. "Not deliberately, anyhow."

"But isn't it kind of in alphas' natures to dominate?"

Levi thought about it before answering. "You asked me how you'll know when you've found the right match, not just someone to scratch an itch."

Glen shrugged. "It would be helpful, yeah."

"Then take this little nugget of advice from someone with the experience to know," offered Levi. "You'll know you've found that person when they put you above themselves, when they listen to you with more than half an ear, respect your boundaries and accept your faults without loving you less for them. Sometimes they'll even love you more."

"You mean the way dad always thinks it's so cute when you cuss like a sailor or say something sarcastic?"

"Yeah." Levi dropped his gaze, and the tiniest hint of a smile graced his lips. "Like that. It goes both ways though, Glen. It isn't about finding yourself a rug to walk all over. The respect has to be mutual, and there needs to be trust. When you've seen someone's bad side and it doesn't change the way you feel about them, when it hurts you to see them hurt, then you're in real trouble...because you're on the right track."

"You keep bouncing between positive and negative," Glen argued. "I'll be in trouble when I find the right one? But I'm on the right track? Make up your mind!"

"I say 'trouble' because that's what it might feel like to you, when and if you start falling hard for someone. I was piss-my-pants terrified when I realized your dad was the one for me, Glen. You're so much like me, it wouldn't surprise me if you follow in my footsteps and have the same reaction when and if you ever find your match."

Glen puzzled over this, and it made sense to him. Levi was an independent spirit as well, as he said. The idea of falling in love was frightening to people like them because it posed a threat to their autonomy; especially if the person they fell for had the means to manipulate their free will the way alphas could once bonded with one.

"Feel any better?" Levi prompted after moments of silence.

Glen shrugged. "Yes and no. I feel a little better about this heat garbage I'm dealing with, but not so much about my future love life. I'd say I'm just going to avoid alphas, but that always seems to be the type to catch my interest the most."

"Hmm. Well, you've got a valid enough concern for being wary of them, but I'm gonna give you one last piece of advice: don't let prudency stand completely in the way if you ever think you might have found the one that could be your alpha. I felt the same way as you, but if I'd listened to those fears and not taken a chance, you and your brothers wouldn't exist today."

Glen nodded. "I know. I just wish I had some kind of asshole detector that would warn me when I think I've found a decent guy. It isn't like omegas can just break things off and move on like other people once we're committed to an alpha."

"Yeah, and that part sucks," Levi agreed. "The uncertainty, the fear that the guy you've chosen is going to turn on you and become a nightmare you can't escape. The government's got one thing right, at least. Us omega and alpha types are practically an endangered species, and I think part of that is because a lot of omegas decide to pair up with betas or each other, rather than risk mating with an alpha and losing their freedom. _'Till death do us part'_ is just a verbal contract in marriage, but for our kind it's completely literal once pair-bonded."

"And that's the scariest part of all," sighed Glen.

"Well, you're young. Still a baby in my eyes. There's no need for you to feel rushed, no matter how society tries to push you to mate and reproduce." Levi affixed him with a somber stare. "Don't let anyone convince you that it's your duty to make babies. If you never have a kid at all, that's fine. It'd be more selfish to have kids you don't want and neglect them than to close the factory and nail it shut."

"Um...okay." It took Glen a moment to understand Levi's metaphor, simply because he was so distracted by his nagging urges. Still frustrated that he couldn't seem to get the relief he needed, Glen spoke plainly. "I'm glad you're not one of those parents that says I'll have kids one day no matter what."

Levi shrugged. "You kids are under enough pressure. My job is to teach you how to make it in life, not tell you how to live it."

Glen managed a smile. "Thanks, Papa. I think I'm going to lay down for a while and try to sleep some of this off."

"All right. Your dad and I obviously aren't going anywhere for a while, so just holler if you need us."

"I will."

Glen cleared the forgotten tablet off of his bed, waiting for his father to leave before going for his medication. Levi of course knew about the meds and he seemed satisfied that Glen wasn't abusing his prescriptions, but the young man didn't like taking any pharmaceuticals in front of his father out of respect for Levi's past addiction.

* * *

Erwin pulled the bedcovers aside when Levi joined him in the master bedroom. "How did it go?"

Levi grimaced in discomfort as he slipped out of his house shoes and got in beside the blond. "I gave him some advice. Not sure you'd approve of it, though."

"Oh?" Erwin relaxed against the pillow propped behind his back. "Go on. I'm interested."

Levi glanced at him, and then he lay down gingerly on his back and threaded his fingers together over his midsection. "I told him he should date more."

Erwin raised a brow. "Isn't that counter-productive to our goals to protect him?"

"Depends on how you see it." Levi took his eyes off the ceiling fan and looked up at Erwin. "Glen is going to get sexually involved with someone eventually, if he hasn't already. I didn't tell him to go fuck everyone he sees. I encouraged him to be selective, but to keep his options open. He's pretty much got his pick of alphas or gay betas, so I think he should _date_ as many as he wants to. Not necessarily sleep with them."

"Hmm. I fail to see the difference, personally. Dating often leads to sex."

"Tch. What would you have told him, then? Never mind; I know the answer to that. You'd have said to be celibate until he's married or bonded."

Erwin answered in a dead serious voice. "Damned right, I would have."

"Yeah, that's a realistic approach." Levi snorted.

"Levi, I'm no fool. I remember being that age and I know our twins are going to have sex. I'm aware that Kolby, at least, already has. That doesn't mean I have to like or encourage it. I know that telling them not to do it isn't realistic, but it surprises me that you made the suggestion that you did, all the same."

"Not every omega is going to be as lucky as me," excused Levi, "and if they make a mistake in an alpha partner, it stays with them until one of them dies."

Erwin stared at his mate, seeing the barrier slipping and feeling Levi's quiet anxiety through their link. There was something else there, too. An angst that Erwin hadn't sensed from Levi in years, yet was nonetheless familiar.

"What else did you talk about?" whispered Erwin.

The omega lowered his gaze. "How you and I met. My addiction. I told Glen a few more details, because I wanted him to know that I understand what he's going through better than most. Don't worry; I didn't give him the whole story. I told him I got involved with the wrong alpha and ended up an addict because of it."

"How can he relate to that?" Erwin wondered, keeping his voice gentle so as not to upset Levi further.

Levi met his eyes again. "Because I was in heat almost constantly during that time, as you recall. Glen thinks something's wrong with him because his hormones are taking longer than average to regulate. He needs to know someone understands. That's why you suggested I talk to him, right? He needs a sympathetic ear...not just someone that feels sorry for him."

Erwin felt grossly negligent of Levi's feelings, suddenly. Though it pained him physically to do so, he reached out for the smaller man and urged him closer. He kissed the crown of his head as Levi stretched out on top of him and lay his head on the blond's chest.

"I'm sorry that you had to relive that again," murmured Erwin. "I didn't anticipate that subject coming up."

"It's okay," assured Levi. "It was improvised on my part. I didn't plan it either. It just came out, and then I had to embellish a little. It wasn't a cheerful conversation, but he did calm down and I think he feels like he can talk to me more about his issues now."

"Well that's...good."

"Oi, stop feeling guilty," admonished Levi, craning his neck stiffly to look up at Erwin. "You just asked me to talk to him. I made the choice to bring up my past. Do you get why I encouraged him to date, though? Do you understand what I said about omegas and the disadvantages we can face?"

"Yes," answered Erwin. "I see what you meant, and when you put it that way, I can also see the wisdom behind the suggestion. I...partly agree. Better for him to get a taste of what's out there, find out what kind of man he really wants before committing to one person. It's just hard for me to approve of that, because I can't help but feel it's like telling a kid to play with matches so he doesn't get burned."

"I was thinking of it more like teaching someone how to fish so he can learn how to reel in the best catch."

Erwin went still, blinked up at the ceiling and then chuckled. "Ow...it hurts to laugh, but I like your analogy better. Still, it's a dangerous gamble."

"Everything's a dangerous gamble with raising an omega," huffed Levi. "But to be honest with you, I think Glen's ultimately going to be okay. He's a shrewd kid with a pretty solid idea of how the world works. Also, I'm not sure we've got to worry about him getting involved with any alphas for a while. Seems scared of them."

That gave Erwin pause again. "Scared of them? Our Glen, who's demonstrated such an obsession with the alpha physiology over the years?"

"Yeah, but I think he's matured enough now to know there are certain risks with getting involved with them. He said he wished he had an asshole detector so he could tell which ones were decent alphas and which weren't. He also said he might just try sticking to betas."

Erwin dropped his head back against the pillows and absorbed this. Glen had always been so fascinated with alphas. Perhaps this change of outlook was due to his problems with fertility cycles, but it seemed so sudden for the boy to suddenly _fear_ his alpha counterparts.

"What's the matter?" asked Levi, evidently sensing his disquiet.

Erwin shook his head. "Just thinking."

Levi had been fearful of alphas when Erwin met him, but he'd had very good reasons to be. For Glen to go from sketching nude alpha bodies to being afraid of them so quickly seemed suspicious to Erwin. He believed Levi when his mate said that he only disclosed select details of his past ordeal, so he didn't think that conversation was to blame.

It was possible that Glen's recent wariness of alphas was due to the way being around them triggered his hormones. It made a certain kind of sense that the young man would want to avoid them while he was trying to manage his heats. People with allergies tended to avoid things that triggered them, after all. Maybe that's all Glen really meant when he talked about staying away from alphas.

Erwin frowned, thinking of the part about Glen wishing he had a means to tell which alphas were assholes and which weren't. How they behaved had no bearing on what their pheromones did to Glen's body, so Erwin was forced to consider the possibility that his son had a recent encounter with an alpha that might have soured his opinion of them.

* * *

Gustav was surprised the next day when one of the nurses from reception told him that Mr. Smith was waiting to see him. Glen wasn't due for another checkup for a week, and no emergency appointment had been arranged. Though he was on a tight schedule, Gustav agreed to see Smith out of concern that something might have gone wrong with Glen.

He was going over some medical files at his standing computer station when his examination room door opened to admit Erwin Smith. Gustav's polite smile of greeting died on his lips when he saw the stone cold expression on Erwin's face. The retired police chief closed the door behind him, spearing Gustav with an icy blue stare as he did so. He moved stiffly due to his healing injury, but that unrelenting look on his chiseled face suggested that he could still tear someone apart with his bare hands.

"I want to discuss my son," Erwin stated before Gustav could utter a single word.

* * *

-To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

"I want to discuss my son."

The words and the expression on Erwin's face brought with them a moment of panic for Gustav. He wasn't usually a man to jump to a conclusion based on so little information, but recent developments drove him to break that rule.

"Why? What's happened to Glen?"

Erwin's hard expression didn't fade. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Now confused, Gustav closed out the program he'd been using and frowned. "I'm sorry Mr. Smith, but I don't understand. Has he not been home? He hasn't gone missing, has he?"

Erwin's expression finally relaxed a little, revealing a sort of weariness that didn't seem purely physical. "Please excuse my vagueness. I'm in some pain and getting out of the house to come here today wasn't very easy. I'm afraid my condition makes me a little impatient."

"It's all right." Gustav gestured at the seat in the corner. "Please, sit down and rest. What is this all about?"

Erwin took his offer and eased down into the chair gingerly, favoring his injury. He sighed with relief once he was seated, and he smirked a little. "Now the fun part is going to be getting back up again. All right, Dr. Eklund; I'll try to explain myself better. Glen isn't missing. He's fine in that regard. I came to you because he's having some problems and you are his doctor. I need to ask you some things."

"I see." Gustav's tone became guarded. "You understand that doctor/patient confidentiality will only allow me to share so much with you."

Erwin frowned, and the steely glint returned to his eyes, turning them to ice again. "He's my son."

Gustav checked a sigh, and he reminded himself that Erwin's career in law enforcement didn't make him an expert on all legal matters. He'd been trained to serve and protect, specifically. Court matters such as medical privacy and ethical law were the jurisdiction of attorneys and specialized investigators.

"Yes, he's your son," agreed Gustav, "but he's no longer a minor. As a legal adult, Glen has full medical privacy rights. Immediate family members have _some_ leeway in these matters, but not much. Not even his own parents."

The explanation clearly didn't sit well with Erwin. "This is ridiculous. At eighteen years old, kids can buy tobacco, move out of their parents' homes, join the military—or in Kolby's case, get drafted into it—and make all of their own medical decisions. Yet they can't drink beer."

Gustav grimaced subtly. "Yes, I've always thought that was a strange inconsistency in this country's laws too, to be honest. Unfortunately for the purpose of the law, Glen _is_ an adult and he has the same right to medical privacy as we do. Without power of attorney, there isn't much that you can do."

Erwin sighed. "I thought I at least until his twenty-first birthday before I became completely powerless. He's my child, Doctor. My first and possibly only omega son. I'm not asking you to show me his medical records. I just want you to answer some questions if you can."

"I'll try," agreed Gustav, as intrigued as he was guarded. He didn't know Erwin Smith well, but past encounters with him and his family had given him a solid impression that Erwin was usually the voice of calm reason when times were difficult. Seeing him like this left little doubt in Gustav's mind that the man's physical pain took a back seat to his concern for his son.

"I'm not here today because of the ongoing issues Glen has had with his cycles," explained Erwin. "I know that you and Hange are both doing your best to address that. Glen's behavior lately is what bothers me. I'm not sure it can all be blamed on his hormones."

"And what insight do you think I would have on this?" asked Gustav.

Erwin's lashes lowered, casting a brooding shadow over his eyes and making them appear a darker blue in color. "I know Glen talks to you outside of his appointments. He told me as much himself."

Mildly surprised, Gustav raised a brow. "You don't seem very upset about that."

"Should I have reason to be?"

Gustav smiled briefly and shook his head. "No. Glen sometimes calls or texts me for advice on managing his symptoms, and he keeps me updated. Aside from that, the only contact I've had with him outside of the hospital was when you were brought in with your injury. I took him to lunch to get him out of the hospital for a while."

Erwin nodded, expressing no umbrage even though his expression smoothed into that stoic mask he usually wore. "Yes, he told me about that, too. We appreciate the consideration and comfort you showed him that day. I'm sure he needed it."

"I'm not sure why you're bringing the subject up," puzzled Gustav. "If you're insinuating that I've conducted myself unprofessionally, Mr. Smith—"

"I'm not here to accuse you," interrupted Erwin tensely, his face going through another brief spasm of pain. "I brought it up because I think you might be privy to things that we, his family aren't. As both his doctor and seemingly his advisor, he may have told or shown you something that we're in the dark about."

"For example?" Gustav furrowed his brows subtly.

"Has he been in to see you since last weekend?"

Gustav shook his head. "No. He hasn't made any appointments outside of our scheduled follow-ups recently."

"Then when you saw him last, did you notice anything in your examination? Any bruises or...ah, shit, you couldn't tell me if you did, could you?"

A chill went through Gustav at the implications. Erwin said Glen's behavior changed rather suddenly. He'd said he wasn't there to make an accusation, and now he was asking about bruises Gustav might have noticed.

"Please finish what you were about to say, sir."

Erwin's mouth pulled into a disturbed frown, and he rubbed his forehead. "I don't even want to think about it, but I assume doctors in your field can tell if a patient's been...recently sexually active."

Something twisted inside of Gustav. It was dizzying, conflicting between a sick feeling and a protective impulse. It almost made him topple from his stool, it struck so suddenly. He composed himself, picturing Glen's pale blue eyes, his smoothly sculpted face, the mischievous smirk of his lips. He thought of the unusual way Glen's hair went from dark at the roots to golden blond to flaxen at the tips—an ombre effect that Gustav at first mistook as a dye job. It was natural though, a trait that both Glen and his twin shared.

It wouldn't be the first time he'd had an emotional reaction like this concerning Glen. The same thing had happened when Glen confided in him that he'd lost his virginity.

"Doctor Eklund?" prompted Erwin after a moment.

Realizing that the blond might take his silence the wrong way, Gustav answered him. "No, Mr. Smith. There are regulations in place that restrict alpha doctors from performing reproductive examinations on omegas under the age of twenty-one. Dr. Zoë is the one that actually handles that part for Glen. I thought you knew."

"These days I have trouble keeping up," admitted Erwin with a sigh. "Glen sees three different doctors, and while I know Hange is specialized in omega physiology, I wasn't sure if she was still doing the bulk of Glen's associated care. She's a very busy woman, so I thought she might have let you take over all of it."

"Not at all," explained Gustav. "The truth is that most omegas aren't comfortable with an alpha as their urologist. Some prefer it, conversely. Either way, there must always be a nurse present during the examination. Coupled with a mandatory consent form and the age restriction, I don't see many patients for those sort of checkups."

"I see. Apparently I haven't been paying close enough attention or I would have known this."

Gustav smiled. "I imagine you try not to invade Glen's personal life by badgering him with too many questions."

"I do," confirmed Erwin. "So does Levi, but that leads to anxiety for us when we don't know what's going on in his life behind the scenes. Glen's open with us about some things, but I'm sure there are a plethora of details he would never disclose. It's an ugly situation that leads me to doing things like this; going behind his back to find the dirt."

"You're a concerned parent," reminded Gustav, "with Glen's best interests at heart. I'm just sorry that I can't help you today. Dr. Zoë couldn't disclose it to you without Glen's permission even if she did happen to notice anything, in fact."

Erwin sighed again, and his breath hitched slightly with pain. "Then can you at least tell me if you've noticed anything during your recent appointments with him? Has he mentioned anything to you."

"Most of what Glen and I discuss is centered around managing his heat symptoms," explained Gustav. "That's my part in his care, Mr. Smith; finding the most effective treatment to level him out. He confides in me at times, true. I'm still bound by oath not to repeat anything personal he may or may not have told me."

The spark lit behind the blue of Erwin's eyes again. "Not even if he might be in trouble?"

Gustav hesitated for a moment before replying. "If I thought that Glen was in true danger from anyone, including himself, I would have a conference with you and your husband about it before deciding what can be done. I can at least assure you that isn't the case as of yet. He's given me no reason to feel I need to break confidentiality for his safety."

"But you know something that you aren't telling me," reasoned Erwin shrewdly, spearing the doctor with that intelligent gaze.

"I can't say," answered Gustav smoothly. "My apologies for wasting your time, sir. I wish that I could help you. The best I can offer is a suggestion that you try to speak with Glen directly about this. Maybe if you tell him your concerns, he'll be willing to open up more."

"That's unfortunately where parents fall to the wayside," stated Erwin flatly. "I've seen it too many times in my career. Kids start on a bad path and their families have no idea because it's kept carefully hidden from them. I've spoken with family members so many times after arresting suspects, and their bewilderment was almost always genuine. To them, it's like I'm talking about a stranger."

"Well, I sincerely doubt you need to worry about Glen going out and shooting anyone," comforted Gustav. "But maybe a lack of communication between family members is part of why these people you speak were always so surprised to learn their dear ones had a separate life."

Erwin frowned, dropping his gaze to stare at the floor. "You're absolutely right, Doctor. Damn, I've done it again."

"I'm sorry?" asked Gustav, politely ignorant. "You've done what again?"

Erwin sighed. "I fell back on being the police officer. Questioning people involved in Glen's life like he's a suspect and they're potential witnesses. Investigating my own child behind his back instead of being straight with him. Levi used to get onto me for that all the time. I've improved over time, trying to be more conscious of it and leave the cop in me behind when approaching family matters. Old habits still sneak up, though."

"They say those are the hardest ones to break," mused Gustav with a little smile. "At least you're aware of it. Is there anything more I can do for you today?"

Erwin shook his head, and he got out of the chair with painful effort. "No. I've taken up enough of your time today. I appreciate your clarification on where I stand in the matter of Glen's medical privacy."

"Are you all right to drive?" asked Gustav dubiously, watching how gingerly Erwin moved toward the door. He went to open it for the other alpha. "I can call a taxi for you."

"I took a ride share here," explained Erwin, "and I have a follow-up myself that I'm now late for. Don't worry; I'll arrange another ride after my appointment. Thank you."

Gustav nodded, and he held the door open while Erwin made his egress. The blond male stopped partway through the threshold, turned and looked at Gustav again. "But if you thought Glen was in real trouble, you would tell me?"

Gustav nodded, pinned by that demanding stare. "Yes, I would."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Erwin grunted. "All right. I don't know why I thought I could just breeze in here and get answers from you, except that Glen is very fond of you and you seem to genuinely care about his well-being. I apologize for the interruption of your day, Doctor."

"It's no trouble," assured Gustav. "I hope your appointment goes well."

When Erwin was gone, Gustav closed the door again and called the desk to let them know he was available for any walk in cases. He then sat down on his stool and started looking through some paperwork on the counter. Erwin Smith was a sharp one, for certain. Gustav still didn't know what sort of behavior the man was talking about, but he hadn't forgotten Glen's confession to him that he'd lost his virginity to a person that was none too considerate.

Gustav also recalled the text conversation he and Glen had last week, and how worried he'd become when the young man expressed his despair over his situation. He didn't think that Glen was suicidal, but it could possibly escalate to that if things kept going the way they were. It probably didn't help that Glen's first time had been painful for him, and now Gustav wondered if that pain was brought on by more than just a partner's inexperience or carelessness.

He had work to do. Yet he wasn't doing it. He just sat there brooding until his next patient came in. Only then was Gustav able to banish thoughts of it—at least temporarily—so that he could work. Sometimes being busy was the best distraction of all.

* * *

While his parents were fretting over his little brother's situation, Dylan was trying not to have a heart attack.

"We are in pursuit," he gasped into the car's radio mic. "Suspect is fleeing the scene in a yellow...ah...looks like 90's model Mustang. L-license plate—shit!"

Dylan had to brace himself as his partner followed their quarry into a sharp left-hand turn onto an intersecting road. The suspect narrowly missed an old man that had been trying to cross the street, and Nick cursed and swerved wide around the crosswalk to give the pedestrian a wider, safer berth.

"Son of a bitch," growled Nick, speeding up again once the danger was passed.

Dylan resumed his description of the car they were after, rattling off the license plate number through the transmitter. "Requesting backup. Suspect is confirmed armed and dangerous."

"Officers are on their way," responded Nanaba through the radio. "Stay in pursuit."

"Roger."

Dylan put down the mic, and he looked at his grim-faced companion. Nick's handsome features were tight with concentration and anger. It didn't take a pair-bond for Dylan to know what was going through his head, and for a brief moment, he wondered what it would have been like if it were possible for two alphas to have such a connection. He imagined the feeling of Nick's rage would have terrified him. He was already unsettled enough without the ability to share that bond with his boyfriend.

Their backup needed to make an appearance fast. Preferably before Nick managed to corner the suspect.

"Keep your cool," advised Dylan.

He could practically taste the aggression radiating from Nick. Dylan sometimes didn't really consider himself to be a "true" alpha, because he wasn't prone to some of the common behavioral patterns of that type. Nick, however, was both protective and territorial to a fault. He was the friendliest guy alive until someone crossed him, and then all bets were off.

They'd been out on routine patrol when the incident occurred. Dylan and Nick just happened to be driving by when the suspect they were after jumped into his car after robbing a convenience store. They witnessed his egress and Dylan ran in to confirm that the clerk was unharmed before jumping in the car with his partner and chasing after the offender.

Nick hated robbers, and he had good reason for his special bias. Dylan empathized with him, because he had the same seething hatred for rapists due to his own life circumstances. He feared, however, that Nick's fixated prejudice might eventually get him hurt or killed.

"Nick, slow down! The hill—"

It was too late. Their vehicle crested the hill—which Dylan was quite familiar with—and it did it at such velocity that they soon became airborne. Both men's faces went white as the police car launched, and time seemed to slow down. Dylan vaguely realized the howls he was hearing came from both him and his companion. He saw the rear end of their quarry's car looming up as it too soared through the air. He could see the details of the license plate down to the tiny scratches on it, and it occurred to him that the thief's car was dropping faster than the cruiser because it was a heavier build.

Slow motion became fast-forward, and Dylan stared through the windshield at the suspect's car...which was now _beneath_ them. The police cruiser took a nose-dive, crashing directly on top of the fleeing car. Dylan's vision was suddenly obscured by an explosion of white as the air bags deployed, and the inflating menace of it knocked his head back enough to render him unconscious.

* * *

Nick revived from the collision first, and he groaned with pain and confusion. Pushing against the air bag threatening to suffocate him, he turned his head and tried to get his bearings. He went still with shock when he saw his partner's pale, blood-streaked visage facing him. His cheek was resting against the airbag that had deployed upon impact.

"Dyl?"

Dylan was unresponsive. His eyes were closed and deep crimson blood was trickling from somewhere on his scalp. At least, Nick presumed that was the source, since he couldn't see any cuts on his face. Their were bits of broken glass scattered in the other male's dark hair, sparkling in the sunlight that shone through the windows. It couldn't have come from their car; all of the police cruisers had bullet and shatter-resistant windows. Dylan had the passenger-side window rolled down though, and Nick realized the broken glass must have come from the suspect car.

"Dylan..." Nick reached out painfully, and he shook his lover's shoulder. "Baby, talk to me. Wake up, buddy."

It took a couple more shakes to get a response from Dylan. A moan, followed by a raspy murmur, and then the dazed gray eyes opened to stare blankly at Nick. The wail of emergency vehicle sirens could be heard in the distance, increasing in volume as they got closer.

Relieved beyond measure and feeling guilty as hell, Nick swallowed. "I'm sorry. I got reckless."

Glen licked his lips, swallowed painfully and uttered a reply that assured Nick he was at least coherent. "Well...we caught him at least, right?"

* * *

Erwin got word from Mike about the accident, and he and Levi made arrangements for Isabel to pick up Alex from school and watch him until they got home. The twins were both on campus taking classes at the time, so Levi sent them both a text informing them that Dylan was injured but would be all right, insisting they stay in class instead of rushing to go and see him.

It came as no surprise to either parent when their twins showed up at the hospital shortly after they did, despite Levi telling them not to. Erwin put a stop to Levi's tirade as soon as it started, quietly reminding him of how tight their boys were with each other.

"If it had been either one of them," reminded Erwin in a whisper, "you know Dylan would be here in a heartbeat, no matter what he was in the middle of. You didn't really expect them to stay away, did you?"

Levi grumbled off into silence, and he grunted as he gingerly took a seat in the waiting room. Erwin joined him more slowly, while Kolby and Glen sat down directly across from them.

"What exactly happened?" Kolby asked. "All Papa said in his text was that there was some kind of collision."

Nick came out into the waiting room, still in uniform and looking rather banged up himself. He heard the last part of Kolby's statement and he approached the family to explain, limping a little as he did so.

"Hi guys. Before I say anything else, I should let you know Dylan's going to be fine. He's got a mild concussion and a sprained wrist. He's bruised up but nothing's broken. He got a little cut on his head too, but it doesn't need stitches."

"Is he awake?" asked Erwin.

"Yes sir, I just talked to him. He's already trying to get released and I spent twenty minutes arguing with him to convince him to let the doctors be the judge of when he should go. Man, that guy's stubborn sometimes."

"Well if he's well enough to be a pain in the ass, he must be okay," observed Glen with relief in his voice. "So what happened, Nick? Did you get t-boned at an intersection or something?"

"It's a little more detailed than that," said Nick dryly. "We were in pursuit of a suspect. Me and Dyl were out on standard patrol when the robbery report came in. We were just a block away from the convenience store it happened at, so we were the first on the scene. Got there just in time to see the perp fleeing the scene. We chased him down and uh...sort of landed on him."

Erwin, who's concentration had faded a bit after getting confirmation that his oldest wasn't in serious condition, perked back up. "Excuse me?"

Nick winced, and his amber gaze flicked guiltily to Erwin. "It was my fault, Chief—"

"I'm not the chief any longer," reminded Erwin. "You were saying?"

"It was my fault," reiterated Nick, subdued. "I was so determined to be sure that scumbag wouldn't get away, I got reckless. You know that big hill on Central, just before it intersects with Magnolia avenue north?"

Erwin nodded. "Yes, I'm very familiar with it. I used to make my speeding ticket quota sitting at the bottom of it in my beginner days. Let me guess; you took the hill too fast?"

"Exactly," sighed Nick. "I wasn't even thinking about how steep it was. I was totally focused on the pursuit. Well, we _flew_ over that thing, and the perp slowed just enough to be right underneath us when we landed. Totaled his car, but he survived with a few broken bones. They're taking care of him in this hospital, in fact. Somehow our cruiser came out of it whole enough to be repaired, but we'll have to use an older model for a while until it's fixed."

"So you're telling me you decided to act like a stunt man at a rally and you nearly got yourself and our son killed in the process," declared Levi with narrowed eyes.

If Nick had been cowed by Erwin, he seemed doubly so by Levi. He seemed to shrink a little under the omega's steel glare, and Erwin came to his rescue.

"Love, in the heat of the moment there are all sorts of things an officer might do that he ordinarily wouldn't risk." Erwin rubbed Levi's shoulder, commanding more of his attention and taking it off poor Nick. "There are times when I look back at some of the dicey moments of my career and wonder how in the hell I'm still here. In a situation like that, police often have to make hasty decisions and improvise. However we think we might handle it, things generally don't play out how we imagine it in our heads."

"Yeah, but—"

"Nick acted to stop a criminal from getting away, not to show off or endanger anyone. It's what he's been trained to do...what our son was also trained. He made a miscalculation, that's all. It happens to everyone—especially when there's no time to think things through completely. We should just be thankful that nobody was killed and the boys weren't seriously injured. That man might have gotten away to repeat the offense again if Nick hadn't pursued him so diligently. Had he slowed down to take that hill at the recommended speed, the criminal would be long gone and more resources would have to be spent to track him down."

"I'd rather see my tax dollars go into a helicopter chase than see these kids get themselves killed." Levi looked at Nick, and his expression mellowed. "I get it, though. I've been married to a cop long enough to know the risks. I just hope in the future you'll be less inclined to martyr yourselves for your job."

"Well hopefully there won't be a 'next time' for that scenario," supplied Nick with a little smirk, "but I'm definitely going to remember how far that hill can launch a car if I ever have to pursue anyone over it again."

"What I'd like to know is what that guy thought he was doing, robbing a store in broad daylight," mused Kolby. "That seems crazy to me."

"We've confirmed he was high," explained Nick. "Meth. Probably only had his mind on getting enough quick cash for his next fix."

Erwin glanced sharply at his spouse, and it came as no surprise when Levi's mouth compressed into a tense, thin line. He rubbed the omega's shoulder again. "Well, whatever the case, he's not going anywhere now and his next fix isn't coming for a long time. Let's go and see Dylan."

* * *

Dylan favored his family with a wan smile as they filed into his hospital room to visit him.

"I'm okay," he assured them when Glen immediately hugged him. He grunted a little in discomfort when his brother's embrace got too tight, and he patted Glen's back. "Easy, Imp. I'm not broken, but my ribs are pretty bruised up."

"Sorry." Glen released him and straightened up, giving him some air. "So...what was it like to be in a flying car, bro?"

"Not nearly as fun as you'd think," answered Dylan with a grin. "Especially when it isn't planned. I'm amazed I didn't piss myself."

"How far do you think you got launched?" asked Kolby.

"Hmm...must have been fifteen feet at least, but it felt like a lot more than that."

"Who needs roller-coasters when you've got hills like that in the urban neighborhoods?" joked Glen.

"Don't get any ideas," advised Erwin with a little frown at the adventurous young omega. "You may think it sounds fun, but some of those hills are serious traffic hazards. The one that Dylan and Nick went over is notorious for its blind spot, and dozens of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists over the years have lost their lives because of that."

"All right, geez," muttered Glen. "I was just kidding around."

"Dad's just worried because he knows you've got a cat's curiosity," offered Dylan. He reached out to ruffle Glen's hair when the younger man took a seat on the edge of his bed. "He's right though; that hill is nothing to mess with. I didn't even fully appreciate how steep it was until we nearly got launched into orbit going over it."

"Did they say when they're going to release you?" Kolby asked.

Dylan sobered, and he sighed. "I'm not sure. Moblit and Hange were in here a little while ago and I thought I could talk them into getting me out of here sooner, but they both want me under observation for at least a day."

He touched the gauze patch secured to his forehead just under his hairline, above his left brow. Dylan winced at the sting and the dull throb from the pressure. He knew his face was bruised up; particularly his right cheek where he took the brunt of the impact from the air bag. He must look pretty awful to his family right now with one black eye, a bruised cheek, a bandage on his head and a brace on his right hand and forearm.

"Good," stated Kolby with a satisfied nod. "You _should_ stay under observation for a day. You've been diagnosed with a concussion, so they're just playing it safe. Your injuries might be superficial but concussion isn't something to just brush off. I'm glad they're not taking any chances."

Dylan smiled at the older twin. "Okay, brainiac. I'll try to behave and keep my cool."

"Speaking of brains," said Kolby without missing a beat, "yours have been a little scrambled, so I mean it, bro. Just do what the staff asks and let them take care of you."

"What brain?" piped up Glen teasingly, earning himself a playful swat from Dylan.

"Don't make fun of a sick man," admonished Dylan.

Levi spoke up then. "Aside from the obvious, are you feeling okay or what?"

Dylan tried to nod, and he winced at the throb it caused in his skull. "I'm all right, Baba. Writing anything is going to be a pain in the ass for a while and I'll have to take a few days' sick leave at least, but I shouldn't be out of commission for long. You and Dad need to just focus on getting better yourselves. Don't worry about me."

"Look at this family," sighed Kolby, his tone only half-kidding. "Glen with his heat problems, Dad and Papa's backs messed up and now you in the hospital with a sprain and concussion. Did someone put a curse on us or something?"

"I know, right?" agreed Glen. "You and Alex are the only ones that aren't hurt or sick right now."

"Shh, don't jinx it," advised Levi. "We don't need _everyone_ in our bunch laid up in bed, brat."

"Right, don't tempt fate." Dylan examined the brace on his hand. "To be honest, I think the airbags did most of the damage to me. Of course if they hadn't deployed, my teeth might have ended up in the dashboard."

"Airbags can be a blessing and a bane," remarked Erwin. He studied Dylan with quiet concern, assessing the bruising and swelling in his face. "It could have been a lot worse without them, though. Is there anything we can get for you son?"

"No, Nick said he was going to grab some things for me from our apartment. He wanted to wait for you guys to get here before going."

"Oh, that explains where he ran off to," Glen surmised. "He's looking kind of beat up too."

"He's okay. They checked him out too when they brought us in, and he's just got some bruising and chafing from his seatbelt. He also strained his groin in the crash."

Erwin winced in sympathy. "That would explain the limp. He really should be resting up as well."

"Like you two are?" Dylan smirked at both his parents.

"Our son was in a serious fucking car accident," retorted Levi. "I'd have come even if I was on fire."

Dylan smiled at Levi...or at least, he attempted to. It was hard to do more than smirk or grimace with his face so bruised and swollen. "I know you would, Baba. Now that you've seen I'm okay, I'd appreciate it if you and Dad would do me a favor. Go home, rest and don't worry about me."

Levi and Erwin glanced at each other, and the latter nodded. Erwin hobbled over to the bed and reached down to pat Dylan's hair with careful, gentle affection. Ordinarily, he probably would have bent over to hug him or even kiss the crown of his head, but his condition made it nearly impossible.

"All right Dylan. I'm sure you're in good hands. Please keep us updated and get plenty of rest yourself."

"I will," promised Dylan. "I'll come visit as soon as I'm released, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Levi.

"Brainiac, Imp, you guys take care of them okay?" Dylan asked of his brothers. "I should be okay to help more in a few days."

"We will," Glen said with a nod.

"I'll go get the car started," offered Kolby. "It takes Papa and Dad a while to make it back down the first floor in their condition."

Kolby considered the matter, looking between his parents in a calculating way. "I've got it. Wait here for a few minutes, okay?"

He left the room without further comment, leaving them all wondering.

"Now what's he up to?" muttered Levi. He started to have a seat in the visitor recliner, thought better of it and rubbed the small of his back.

Kolby returned a little while later, and he propped the door open. "Okay. Just a sec."

Dylan fought another smile as the older twin stepped out for a minute and then came back in again, this time rolling a foldable wheelchair in with him.

"I asked if they'd let us borrow a couple," said Kolby in explanation when his parents stared at him. "I should have thought of it sooner, really."

"I don't need a—"

"Baba," Dylan interrupted sternly, eyeing his father with disapproval. "Don't be stubborn. You're obviously in pain, and Dad's got that 'statue face' he puts on when he's bottling up."

Erwin glanced at Dylan with mild surprise.

"Yeah. I know that look," confirmed Dylan a little smugly. To most, that fixed expression came off as stoic. Dylan had seen that look before when his dad was angry or upset and trying not to reveal it to others. In fact as a kid, he always knew he was in real trouble when he did something wrong and Erwin put on that face.

"Just get in the wheelchairs and let the twins roll you to the parking lot, okay?" Dylan sighed at his parents, shaking his head. "You two can put aside your pride for just a few minutes. Families look out for each other, right? Let your _kids_ take care of _you_ for a change."

His words seemed to reach them. Even Levi appeared the slightest bit contrite. He looked at the chair Kolby had wheeled in, and he took a slow breath before easing himself into it with Glen's help.

"All right; just this once," Levi finally agreed.

"Wow, Papa," Glen remarked, "you must really be hurting, to be the first one that caved."

"Shut it," grunted the older omega. "Glen, you should push me since I'm lighter."

Glen immediately took up the handles on the wheelchair and spun Levi around to face the door.

"Oi, take it easy," snapped Levi. "This isn't the wheelchair roller derby. It's a hospital, so go slow and don't run over anyone."

Glen shrugged, and he guided Levi's wheelchair out the door with more care. "I just thought you'd want to get it over with faster."

"That doesn't mean I want you to treat it like a shopping cart race like those stupid reality shows you watch."

Dylan listened to his brother and father arguing all the way down the hall, and he chuckled. Levi would never forgive him if he told him he sounded like a surly old man. His appearance might not match the description, but his complaints certainly did.

"Okay Dad," said Dylan once Levi and Glen's voices faded in the distance. "Now you."

"All right," agreed Erwin gamely, "but make sure you have the brakes good and secure, Kolby."

"I've got it, Dad," assured the older twin. "Take your time."

Erwin lowered himself into the chair so slowly that Dylan ached to get up and help him. Hange had said that Erwin's injury would probably take longer to heal than Levi's because it was more severe, but it was still painful to watch. Erwin's alpha physiology was probably what saved him from becoming a paraplegic after his fall. Had he been a beta, he might have been stuck in a wheelchair for life instead of just taking a ride down to the parking lot.

"Be more careful Dad," advised Dylan seriously. "Stay home and follow the recovery steps Hange laid out for you, okay?"

"Don't get into another collision like that and I will," Erwin rebutted with a grunt.

"I mean it," reiterated Dylan. When the older alpha met his eyes, Dylan held his gaze. "They said you were really lucky. Keep moving around when you aren't supposed to and you could jostle something and end up doing damage they can't repair."

Erwin smirked. "Which one of us is the parent, again?"

Dylan relaxed and managed a smile for him. "I just worry about you, that's all. You always focus so much on taking care of others that you neglect yourself."

"I'll try to be more selfish, then." Erwin leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath, attempting to shift into a more comfortable position. "I honestly think that bullheadedness may run in this family, though."

"No kidding," agreed Kolby. He released the brakes on the chair, turned it around with more caution than his younger sibling had shown with Levi's and then looked over his shoulder at Dylan. "Don't worry Dyl. Me and Glen will hold the fort. Just get better, okay?"

"Will do. I'll see you guys again soon."

* * *

Glen didn't ask around about Dr. Eklund while they were in the hospital. He was very conscious of his crush on the man and he didn't want it to become obvious to everyone. He felt like he'd already revealed too much, and he was confused enough without rumors starting. He suppressed his impulse to ask if Gustav was working today, and he focused on helping to get his parents home and in bed.

It was a blessing that his heat symptoms had faded. There was still the slightest itch and his body heat wasn't quite back to normal, but at least Glen was able to concentrate now and his strength had returned. He and Kolby negotiated for a bit on what to do for dinner, and they settled on the frozen stuffed clams in the freezer with some easy-steam vegetables for a side. It wasn't exactly "home cooking", but it was the best the twins could whip up on short notice, short of ordering takeout.

Isabel brought Alex home after Kolby called her up to let her know they were back, and she showed up with the child when the brothers were just setting up the table.

"Oh hey," she said to them, letting Alex down on the floor. "I didn't know how long you guys were going to be, so I went ahead and made him spaghetti for dinner. I hope that's okay!"

"Hey, that's fine," Glen said absently, his mind's focus dissected into fragments. Parents, food, grades, sex...bad sex. Seemed like that subject always loomed at the edges of his mind no matter how hard he tried to block it out.

"Alex, hold up," Kolby blurted. Glen turned away from the table he was setting to see his twin chase after their baby brother, who had started down the hallway leading to the master bedroom. He scooped the boy up. "Papa and Daddy will be come out in a little while, okay? Let them rest for now."

"But I wanna give hugs."

Glen finished putting down the silverware, and he approached his brothers. "You can give them hugs after dinner, nugget. Just remember neither of them can pick you up for a while."

Alex looked down the hallway with disappointed, chocolate-brown eyes, his fingers absently curling into Kolby's shirt. "When will they get better?"

"Not for a while," Kolby answered truthfully. "But in the meantime, you can help."

"How?" asked the child.

"For starters, remember to pick up your toys. Don't play your cartoons too loud in the mornings. Remember that when their bedroom door is shut, it's 'quiet time'. They need lots of rest."

Isabel chimed in. "You can also help by remembering not to climb on them or ask them to pick you up until they're better."

The little boy pouted a little. Being picked up by his family members, both immediate and honorary, was one of his favorite things. "Okay," he sighed.

"Don't worry, nugget," assured Glen with a smirk. "You can still get plenty of piggy-back rides from me and Kolby. Your aunts and uncles, too."

"And Dyl?" pressed Alex.

Glen and Kolby looked at each other. Alex didn't know about their brother's hospitalization, and their parents didn't want him to. Glen for one thought it was a mistake to keep the kid in the dark, but their reasoning was that Alex was already dealing with enough changes with both parents laid out. Telling him his brother got into a car accident might upset him too much, even if they tried to explain he would be all right.

"Sure, Dylan too," said Glen when his brother remained silent. "When he has time to come around again."

"Why don't you go and play in your room for a while, since you've already had dinner?" Kolby suggested. "You can spend time with Daddy and Papa afterwards."

"Carry me?" asked Alex.

Kolby smiled at him. "Okay. Just don't get too used to this. You're growing fast and you won't always be small enough for everyone to carry you around all the time."

"I'll try to stay small," vowed Alex, provoking a giggle of amusement from Isabel.

Once Kolby left the kitchen and dining area with the boy, Isabel turned to Glen and spoke in a low voice. Gone were the pigtails she used to prefer. She was still more or less a tomboy and liked to keep her auburn hair no longer than shoulder length. Today she had it bound in a single ponytail.

"Speaking of Dyl," she said, "how is he? Anything broken?"

"No, he was lucky. The impact bruised him up and gave him a sprained wrist, but otherwise he's okay."

She relaxed. "Well, that's a relief to hear. All Levi would tell me was that he'd be in the hospital for a couple of days."

"Well, it's nothing to worry about," Glen assured, though he himself had been shocked by the sight of his big brother.

Erwin came out of the hallway, slowly enough and ponderously enough to warn of his presence. Despite his discomfort, he smiled in greeting.

"Hello, Isabel. Alexander wasn't any trouble for you, was he?"

"Not a bit," she promised. "I was just getting the skinny on Dylan's condition from Glen, here. How are you and Levi feeling?"

"We're still alive," answered the blond. He made sure his robe was secure before stepping into the dining area. "Please excuse my state of dress. I'm afraid I spend most of my time in pajamas right now, unless something comes up that requires me leaving the house."

"Oh, don't worry about it! You're laid up in bed most of the time, so it makes sense."

"You're very generous," complimented Erwin. "Glen, is Alex settled in?"

"Yeah. Kolby took him to his room. Dinner's just about ready, but Alex already had his. Want me to bring yours and papa's to your room? A bed tray is probably easier than trying to sit at the table in your condition."

Erwin hesitated, glancing at Isabel with faint embarrassment. "I wouldn't want to be rude to our guest and hide away while she's here."

"Erwin, it's fine," insisted Isabel with a wave of her hand. "I've already eaten, so you don't need to feed me. Plus I'm supposed to meet up with Farlan so we can do our taxes together. Fun, fun."

"Are you sure? I feel awful foisting babysitting duties on you without even offering hospitality."

Isabel shrugged it off, and she fished out her keys from her jeans pocket. "We're friends, and helping each other out is what friends do. You guys help me and Farlan out when we need anything too, so it's not like it's all one-sided. Is Levi sleeping, or can I say goodbye to him before I head off?"

"Actually, he's...indisposed," explained Erwin tactfully.

Glen, however, utterly lacked Erwin's subtlety. "That's code for 'he's on the pot'."

"Glen," sighed Erwin.

Isabel laughed and jingled her keys. "Nothing to be embarrassed about. Everybody poops, right? Well, tell big bro I said hi and I'll call him tomorrow to check in on him."

Glen saw her out, closing and locking the door behind her. Once Isabel was gone, he looked to his dad admonishingly. "What part of 'you need to be in bed' can't you understand?"

Erwin held his hands up defensively. "Excuse me. I only came out because I heard Isabel's voice and wanted to thank her."

"Well, get back in there," scolded Glen. "We'll bring dinner to you and take care of Alex."

"You run a tight ship," teased Erwin, but he cooperated and returned to the bedroom to await his dinner.

* * *

-To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

Even though Alex didn't know what happened to Dylan, the boy seemed to sense that something wasn't quite right. Because he was so young and had seen too many family members hurt or sick lately, Erwin and Levi agreed to let him sleep in their bed with them for a few nights. It took a bit of maneuvering on their part that wasn't at all painless, but the couple found a way to make room for their youngest between the two of them.

Dylan let them know when he was released from the hospital, but he didn't come to visit right away. Like his parents, he didn't want to alarm little Alex with the sight of his bruises and swelling. Rather than come over to spend time in person, he spoke with Alex on the phone and promised him that he would be over again as soon as his schedule cleared up enough to allow it.

Glen was feeling like himself again, at least for the time being. The last of his heat symptoms faded before Dylan got out of the hospital, but how long he had before it happened again, he couldn't guess. He diligently kept taking his suppressants and the accompanying hormone balancing prescription, keeping a daily journal of his health as advised by both Gustav and Hange.

Glen hated that his life had to be so closely monitored. He hated the constraints of being an omega, and he couldn't even blame it all on the way society classified different types and genders. His own body restricted everything he did.

The one thing he no longer hated so much, however, was going in for his medical checkups. Glen was getting used to the routine and while it was a hassle, there was some comfort in the knowledge that he had two brilliant doctors working with him to make his life a little better.

He didn't always get Gustav as his doctor when he got his checkups. It depended on what aspect of his treatment he was going in for. Glen tried not to show any disappointment when he got Hange as his doctor. He liked her, after all, and she was practically family. Hange was entertaining, at least. It was when she had to give him the physicals that Glen dreaded seeing her. Thankfully she was always quick to get it over with, clinical and gentle with him.

It helped to spend time with his twin and with Penny. The three of them were as close as ever, and whenever Glen got moody over his situation, the two of them were quick to distract him from his thoughts or encourage him to stay strong.

The treatment regime Glen was on did seem to be doing some good. He hadn't had any further, unexpected "mini heats". His sexual distractions decreased to a more normalized level—at least for a guy his age and type.

He started to feel like he and Kolby could again relate to each other, the way they had before omega puberty started kicking Glen's ass. That subtle rift that had come between them seemed smaller...easier to step over. Glen suffered no delusions that things would ever again be as they used to, but it was a relief to know that their type difference didn't have to destroy their bond.

Unfortunately, the routine Glen was on couldn't stop nature; only balance it. Enough time passed that Levi and Dylan both made full recoveries from their hurts. Erwin no longer needed his brace to get around, but he still used it during physical therapy and Hange advised him to keep using it even after recovery for a while. That was how long Glen's reprieve from another heat lasted, and then he felt the symptoms come on again, reminding him that he was still vulnerable.

* * *

Gustav watched the young man sitting before him, quietly waiting for him to speak. Glen was staring out the window, his fingers absently toying with the car keys in his hand. He looked distracted, his normally spunky demeanor subdued. Deep in thought, the young man gazed at the sky outside from beneath flaxen bangs, parted slightly to the right and feathering the slightest bit.

"It wasn't as bad this time," Glen said at last. "Not like all the other times before."

Gustav nodded, and the corners of his lips curved up just a little in an expression of relief. "That's promising to hear. Did it come on as suddenly as usual, or was there some warning this time?"

"It was a slow build," explained Glen. His crystal blue eyes met the doctor's as he looked away from the window. "Subtle. In fact it was so subtle that I didn't realize it was happening. I guess you could say it was like a vibration."

Glen frowned, and he shook his head. "No, that isn't the way to describe it. A vibration would be more consistent. It's not like my phone buzzing when it's on silent and someone calls. I'd say it was more like..."

Gustav caught a flicker of light out the corner of his eye, and he glanced out the window. The sky was getting darker with clouds, and the distant lightning signaled the possibility of rain.

"Like a storm?" suggested Gustav, returning his attention to Glen.

The blond omega blinked, and he nodded, eyes widening just a little. "Yeah, I guess that would fit. Not a vibration, but more of a rumble. Then that tickle started up...the one that makes it impossible for me to sleep or get comfortable. That was gradual, too. The symptoms came and went at first, too."

Gustav nodded, smiling.

"Is...that good?"

"Yes, it is." Gustav got off of his stool, and he went to his computer stand to open up Glen's digital file. "Looking at your record, this latest heat began twenty-eight days after the prior one ended."

"Yeah. Maybe even twenty-seven, actually. I ah...might have first started getting symptoms the night before but didn't notice them."

"What makes you say that?"

Glen shrugged. "I've just never had one that started out so quietly before, so I wonder if it could have started before I even started noticing it."

Noticing that Glen was blushing now, Gustav tried to be delicate with his questions. "Did you notice any increased feelings of restlessness the night before, Glen?"

"Not really. But I did have a wet dream. I mean, I get those sometimes anyway, but maybe this one could have been the first symptom of it, or...could a dream like that _trigger_ a heat?"

"It's possible," allowed Gustav. "There are so many factors that can influence an omega's receptiveness. Getting overly aroused can be one of them, if he's due for another cycle soon. We can't know for certain if it was the cause or the symptom of your heat."

Glen dropped his gaze, downcast. "Oh."

"Glen, don't be disheartened." Gustav walked over to the omega, bent over a little and put his hands on Glen's shoulders. The omega looked up at him curiously as Gustav explained himself. "This means something."

"Well, what does it mean?"

Gustav smiled, and he was surprised himself by how genuine the expression was, how easily it came to him. "It means that we're getting somewhere. Truly getting somewhere after all of our work. I don't want to get ahead of myself though, so tell me about the rest of the time period between this heat and the last one. How did you feel before you started having symptoms again?"

"I felt fine." Glen's eyes unfocused as if he was replaying a dream in his head. "More than fine, really. I felt like me again for the first time in a while. I could do stuff with my friends, I could go out without worrying about collapsing and making a sudden mess in my pants, I could think clearly. I'd still get worked up, but there was usually a reason for it, and not just a stealth bomb out of the blue. Know what I mean?"

"I do. These are really good signs, Glen. It's typical for omegas to begin having regular heats shortly after basic puberty runs its initial course and omega puberty sets in. Sometimes heats can be like wild cards in the beginning, unpredictable while the body adjusts to the change of hormone levels. Yours has been bar none the worst example of that I've ever witnessed, but for you to go nearly a full month without micro heats is evidence that we're finally getting somewhere."

"Don't give me false hope, doc," warned Glen seriously, brows forking.

"I'm not trying to." Gustav patted Glen's shoulders, and he pulled away with some effort after reminding himself that certain propriety must be maintained. "The way you described this recent event to me gives me reason to believe you experienced a normal cycle."

"Then what is it I've been having up until then?" asked Glen.

"Your spontaneous heats were more akin to the mating heats omegas generally experience when close to their time and with a partner they're dedicated to," explained Gustav. "This latest one was more like the 'mini heats' you've been describing between full blown ones, yes?"

Glen gave a nod. "Yeah, except it kept coming back until it peaked for a couple of days."

"I think I can finally conclude that until now, what you've actually been experiencing was highly enhanced fertility cycles that were occurring sporadically. In between those, you had hormonal spikes that mimicked the more standard variety of heat. Yours was in overdrive, for all intents and purposes. It's going to take more time to be sure, but I think this could be the beginning of a more normalized pattern for you."

Glen pondered what he'd said for a minute, and then he frowned. "Are you saying I'm going to have a heat every month no matter what I do?"

"It's normal for heats to be closer together in the beginning," answered Gustav. "That's part of the omega's first steps into adulthood. The body gears up to find a mate and reproduce. They'll get fewer and further between with time; especially after pair bonding."

"But Papa told me he had spontaneous heats he couldn't anticipate after he got together with my dad."

"Yes, that can happen. The scientific theory behind that is that omegas adapt to their relationship situation. While single, they have occasional cycles that occur naturally. This is just nature's way of encouraging pair bonding and reproduction."

"Okay, I've heard all this stuff before," Glen said before the doctor could go on. "What I don't get is why it changes once we're with someone."

"Because you're satisfying baser needs, most likely. It doesn't require a pair bond. Omegas in a steady relationship have been known to stop having the 'scheduled' cycles as often. Sometimes they stop altogether and exchange them for the more intense mating cycles and imperative bursts. Then again, some never experience change at all, mated or not. In those cases, the omega's heats just drift further and further apart until they eventually stop."

Glen seemed to perk up a little at the last part. "And when does that happen?"

"Not until late middle age, at the earliest," explained Gustav with some pity. "I'm afraid heats are just going to be a part of your life for a while. The good news is I think we can finally manage them."

"But I thought suppressants were supposed to _stop_ heats. Isn't that why I'm taking them?"

Resisting a sigh of regret, Gustav answered as gently as he could. "I don't think it's possible for us to stop your heats entirely right now, Glen. You've hit a hormone burst in your life, so while suppressants can prevent most heats from occurring for most omegas, you don't fit into the common category. It's possible that the best we can hope for right now is to normalize your cycles so that they're bearable and more on par with what the average omega has when not on suppressants."

"I see. So I'm basically going to be having periods every month."

"There are some parallels," conceded Gustav, but if your heats continue happening on a monthly schedule, then with continued treatment you should start to have longer reprieve from them. For the average healthy omega between the ages twenty-five and thirty-five, cycles tend to occur between three and four times per year. That doesn't include mated omegas for statistics purposes. We need to wait and see what happens with the next heat, but if we can get yours on a fairly consistent schedule, we can better predict when you can expect them and we can assume they'll begin spreading out as with other omegas."

"Hmm. So at least I can start marking it down on a calendar and knowing when to expect the next one."

Gustav smiled. "Exactly. I know you'd rather do away with them entirely, but now you should have more forewarning so you can plan accordingly. Maybe somewhere down the line, perhaps after you're twenty-one, it will slow down enough for us to try weaning you off of your regime."

"Whoa, hold on," protested Glen with a wave of his hands. "We've finally gotten this under control! Why would you want to take me off my medicine when it's working for me?"

"That's just it, Glen. This is artificial control. We're doing this to give your body the chance to complete its adjustment without destroying your quality of life. In times things may regulate themselves and you might stop having heats altogether on your current regime, but it's not a recommended set of prescriptions to be on indefinitely. What I'm suggesting is that if your heat cycles remain normalized and continue to do so without the aid of your treatment, we can explore other options for your suppressants and birth control. Options that don't stand the risk of damaging your fertility in the future. Understand?"

He could tell by the young man's grimace that at this time in his life, Glen didn't really give a damn about his future breeding capabilities.

Gustav tried to improvise. "Damages to the reproductive system can lead to troubles elsewhere, Glen. It isn't just about whether you can get pregnant or not. If we indefinitely rely on such strong methods of treatment to control your hormones, it can eventually lead to side effects that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Your ability to have a healthy sex life could be impacted. Skin problems could occur. Even your internal organs could be at risk. Most of the medication we've put you on is still considered experimental."

Glen pressed his lips together, and his brows—a little darker than the blond in his hair—forked a little. "I hadn't thought of that. You and Hange told me the prescriptions weren't on the market yet, but I didn't really think about what 'experimental' means aside from a better chance of fixing my problems."

"You were desperate, and still are." Gustav sighed, and he squatted before Glen's chair, gazing up at him studiously. "I know how much you must want this to solve everything for you, but for now, try to see it as a means to an end."

Those gem-like blue eyes of Glen's met the doctor's. Fringed by lashes tipped with blond, they were hard to look away from. "You really think my body will work everything out on its own, eventually?"

Gustav nodded. "I do. Until then, we'll continue with your treatment and keep monitoring your heat symptoms closely. Documentation is a pain in the ass, I know, but it's the best way to confirm whether your cycles are normalizing as we hope."

Glen smirked. "I think that's the first time I've heard you cuss."

The alpha smiled at him, more softly than the last time. "I'm sure it won't be the last time. I tend to watch my language in professional settings. I used to be known for having quite the potty mouth in my youth."

"So were you a rebel?" Glen leaned forward with intrigue.

Gustav shrugged, thinking back on some of his experiences before he started on the path that took him overseas. "Hmm. You could say that, I guess. It would depend on who you asked."

"You seem so proper. It's hard to picture you using slang and smoking a cigarette."

"I never smoked," corrected Gustav with a chuckle. "I think you've got a stereotype of what a rebel is supposed to look and act like."

"Maybe I do." Glen shrugged. "I guess I'm wondering what you're like when you come out of that shell, is all."

Gustav tilted his head to the left, watching Glen with curious interest. "You think I'm walled up, then."

"Aren't most people?" The omega spread his hands in an encompassing gesture. "Everybody hides part of themselves from the rest of the world. At least they do in public. I think some people's walls are just thicker than others."

Gustav lowered his gaze thoughtfully. His patient was a very observant young man. Shrewd, calculating and possessing an above average IQ, Glen could go far in life with these tools. Of course, such traits could also land him in trouble if he wasn't careful about how he used them.

"What's up?" prompted Glen upon noticing the pensive look on the alpha's face. "Did you think of something else I need to know?"

Gustav shook his head. "No. I was just thinking of how deep a person you are, and how unafraid you are of speaking your mind. You see the world for the complex place it is, but you speak in black and white."

Glen frowned at him. "Excuse me? What does that mean; _'speak in black and white'_? I don't get it."

The doctor smirked. "Perfect example. What I mean is that you say exactly what's on your mind, without apology or concern for how it sounds. Your father is that way too, from what I understand."

"Shared trait," explained Glen without concern. "Did you just low-key tell me I asked you a dumb question?"

That made Gustav laugh under his breath. He shook his head. "No, but a lot of people might have just nodded along and pretended they understood what I was talking about. You never bother with that sort of act. If you don't understand something, you ask about it rather than stay quiet out of pride."

"Oh, you mean I'm not a 'know it all'. Yeah, I think that's a self-defeating attitude for someone to have. How do you learn anything if you think you're too smart to be taught? Now _that's_ stupid."

Gustav nodded, still smiling fondly at the young man. "Agreed. Well Glen, I'd say this concludes our appointment."

He got to his feet and waited for Glen to get up as well before seeing him to the door. "I'll see you in a week, and remember—"

"Monitor, take notes and document," finished Glen for him. "I got it."

"Good. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Glen started out the door, turned and looked up at the taller man with an indecisive expression. He looked like he wanted to say something else.

"Is there another question you want to ask?" encouraged Gustav.

Glen shook his head. "No, but...I just..."

Without warning, the omega hugged Gustav around the waist. It was brief but tight, and it took Gustav completely off guard. He stood there semi-stunned, unmoving and unsure of how to respond. Glen stepped away, blushing.

"Thanks," said Glen simply, and then he took off.

Gustav Eklund stood there like a statue for several minutes after Glen left, and his face wasn't the only part of him that felt warmer than usual.

* * *

Dylan was thoroughly enjoying one of his few days off in bed, and he wasn't alone. Bereft of clothes, he lay there on the tangled bed sheets with one forearm thrown over his eyes. The bruises and swelling from his apprehension ordeal were gone, as was the brace he'd been wearing on his wrist and forearm. Everything was back to normal for him, in more ways than one.

"That's so good," he encouraged his companion in a breathy tone. He took his arm away from his face and reached down, pushing his fingers through his boyfriend's rich, bed-mussed brown locks.

Dylan's phone started going off, and he groaned. He'd assigned customized ring tones to each of his contacts that he spoke regularly with. The one that was playing happened to be cut from the first verse of "I Got Life" from the musical "Hair".

"It's Glen," informed Dylan unsteadily. "I...I'll catch back with him."

The dark head bobbing between Dylan's thighs paused and lifted. Nick's lips glistened with saliva and precum, his chin hovering half an inch over the tip of the other alpha's flushed erection. "Could be important. He usually texts you before he calls, right?"

Dylan tightened his jaw, conceding the point. "Yeah. I guess I'd better find out what's up. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

Dylan reached for the cheerfully buzzing and singing phone, answering it hastily. "Hey imp. What's up? Are you in trouble?"

"No," came his little brother's answer. "I just wanted to talk for a minute. Is that okay?"

Dylan almost said no, but his fondness for Glen was such that even when it was inconvenient, he always loved speaking with him. "I've got a couple of minutes. How's it going?"

"Well, I had my checkup this morning. I haven't told anyone else yet because I feel like I've got to work it into the conversation with other people. With you I can just talk, you know?"

Dylan smiled, though he was now tense with anticipation. "Yeah, I know. What did the doctor say? Was it a good outcome, I hope?"

"Actually it was," assured Glen. "I got another heat last week, but it wasn't as bad as they usually are and I went almost a whole month before it happened. Dr. Eklund thinks my cycles are "normalizing" and the treatment's working."

Dylan relaxed. His hopes that his brother could eventually live a more ordinary life might finally become a reality. "Oh yeah? That's great, Glen! Does he think suppressants might start working right for you?"

Glen's excited tone mellowed a bit. "Well, he hopes so, but he thinks that won't happen for a while. I guess my system is in hyper mode right now, but as I get older it might calm down enough so that suppressants can do more than just regulate my heats. In any case, if it keeps working the way it is, I can start going out and doing things without being afraid I'll go into a sudden heat. I can start predicting when they're due and I can plan around it."

"That's a hell of a lot better than the way things were before," mused Dylan. "I'll bet you're relieved."

"No shit," sighed Glen. "Anyway, I just had to tell someone. I'm still bracing myself for the diagnosis to be wrong, but if Dr. Eklund is right, I can stop living like a freak."

"You were never a 'freak', kid," said Dylan sternly. "You just have so much life in you that your body doesn't know what to do with it. That's all."

Glen snorted. "That's one way of putting it, I guess."

Dylan grinned. "You know what to do. Sing it for me, imp."

He waved away Nick's confused question and shushed him, waiting for it. As encouraged, Glen sang the opening score from his favorite part in the classic musical that had inspired his ring tone.

_"I got life, mother_

_I got laughs, sister_

_I got freedom, brother_

_I got good times, man_

_I got crazy ways, daughter_

_I got million-dollar charm, cousin_

_I got headaches and toothaches_

_and bad times too_

_like you."_

Dylan nodded and smiled again. "There you go. Just remember those lyrics when you feel discouraged, buddy. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you."

"Tch," responded Glen, sounding very much like their father. "If only it was as simple as singing a silly song from an old musical."

"I'm not saying it'll solve anything for you," Dylan clarified. "I just know how much that song always perked you up. Hell, you practically know every song in that movie by heart."

"It's been a long time since I've seen it," sighed Glen. "I haven't had time to indulge."

Dylan thought in silence for so long that Glen asked if he was still there. "Yeah, I'm here imp. I was just thinking of how long it's been since we've had a bro night."

"Damn, it _has_ been a while. Well, there's no help for it. Our schedules are just too full."

"How about tomorrow?" suggested Dylan. "You and Kolby can come over—"

"Wait a minute, Dyl," protested Nick; but then Dylan gave him a plaintive look that had the other alpha sighing and giving in with a smile. "All right."

"As I was saying," Dylan continued, "you and Kolby can come here after classes. If I remember right, Kolby only has two classes on Friday and yours are all online. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah. So you want us to come over when we're both finished?"

"Sure."

Glen paused. "You don't get days off very often. Is Nick gonna be okay with this? I don't want to bust in on your time together."

Instead of answering that himself, Dylan passed his phone over to his lover...who was still situated on his stomach between his legs. He gave an encouraging nod at Nick and mouthed: "Tell him."

Nick sighed briefly, took the offered phone and smiled in a forced manner. "Heya, kiddo. I'm cool with you and your brother coming over to hang out, as long as you let me finish what I started a minute ago—"

Dylan snatched the phone away from Nick with a blush. "Uh, so yeah. Come on over when you've both got your school shit done, Glen."

"...did I interrupt—"

"It's fine. I'll catch you later, okay?"

Dylan promptly ended the call, and he gave his lover an accusing glare. "Dude, that wasn't cool."

"What? It's not like I told him _what_ or _who_ I was doing when he called." Nick winked, smiling in his handsome, mischievous way.

"Ugh." Dylan dropped his head back against the pillow, rubbing his hands over the stubble growth on his jaw. "Glen's too sharp to have skipped the clue. He knew exactly what was up."

"So?" countered Nick. He kissed the other male's pelvic area, still smiling. "He's an adult now. He can cope. Now, where were we?"

"He's still just a kid and...oh..." Dylan trailed off, gray eyes rolling back with pleasure as Nick filled his mouth with Dylan's cock. Having softened a bit since the phone call, it quickly swelled and stiffened to full size under Nick's diligent attentions. Dylan forgot what he was arguing about, powerless as always against his boyfriend's sensual skills.

The argument faded into the background as Nick worked him over, and Dylan reached for the lubricant waiting on the bedside table without question when his companion reached out meaningfully. So much for his point about Glen. He couldn't even recall what he'd been meaning to say.

* * *

The next day as planned, Glen and Kolby packed an overnight bag and they went over to Dylan and Nick's place as soon as the latter was finished with his final class of the day. Nick ordered some pizza and they all sat down to eat and watch a movie together.

They talked about Dylan and Nick's police work, college and life in general. They also caught up on old times, plans for the near future and hopes for the distant future.

"So you and Penny are still going strong," Dylan remarked when Kolby brought up his girlfriend. "You've never considered dating other people?"

Kolby shrugged. "Not me, at least. Penny and I just fit, and even if life circumstances part us for a while, I'm sure we'll end up together."

"Well, let's hope you're right." Dylan looked at the smaller twin situated beside Kolby. "What about you, Imp? Have you locked anything in yet, or are you just going to see where your art takes you?"

"Probably the latter. It's hard to say right now. I've just been trying to keep busy, and it's not easy to do that with the changes I've had to make to my class schedule."

Knowing that Glen wouldn't want him to put too fine a point on his hormonal issues, Dylan avoided the subject of his treatment and tried to come up with a decent suggestion. "Have you looked into getting a part time job? Maybe some art commissions?"

Glen's mouth tightened the slightest bit. "I've thought about a job, but I have to be careful with that until I know everything's...uh...more predictable."

"Hey, I've got an idea," Nick offered. "What about delivery service? There's all kinds of options for independent contract work in that area. You could use your own car and make your own hours. That way you could earn some extra money for yourself and keep busy."

Glen tilted his head in thought, and he looked at his twin. "But me and Kolby share the car. What if he needs it to get around while I'm out delivering?"

"I can find a ride if I really need one," assured Kolby. "I think it's a good idea, Glen. If my own study schedule wasn't so heavy, I'd get a part time job too. You should at least look into it, and we could work out some kind of deal so I can still use the car if I want to take Penny out or something. I mostly use my bike around campus anyway."

"But that's a hell of a peddle from our house all the way to the campus," Glen pointed out. "I know you like to stay in shape, but you'd have to leave really early in the mornings to make it on time for your classes if you ride your bicycle every day."

"We'll figure something out," insisted Kolby. "The bike fits in the back of the car, so if you want to do deliveries on days that I have a lot of classes, you could just drop me off on campus with it and come get me later."

"Sounds like a lot of trouble," Glen pointed out with a frown.

"Then I can leave my bike at one of the dorms close to my class buildings," suggested Kolby. "I'll lock it to the bike parking space and it can be there whenever I need it."

"You're really trying hard to get me to try this delivery thing."

"I'm trying to make things a little easier for you," countered the alpha. "You've been telling us you need a distraction, you're worried about getting a regular job...this could be the answer for now."

"I think it's a good idea too," encouraged Dylan. "This way you wouldn't have to answer to anyone's schedule except your own. You can do as much or as little as you want, and it'll give you some job experience too."

"Hmm."

* * *

-To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

Glen waited for a couple of weeks before filling out the application forms online to join up with Food Grab; a local delivery company he'd researched after his talk with his brothers and Nick. He had to wait about another week before he got his car gear for the company that would synch up with his phone and serve as a navigation device while he was doing deliveries.

Levi wasn't exactly thrilled to hear about Glen's job decision.

"So you're gonna be carrying food around? With sauces and drinks and other shit that could spill and damage the upholstery?"

"Papa, I'll be careful," Glen promised. "Look, they sent me this special insulated bag to put the pickup orders in. I'll line the floor of the back with a trash bag or something and put the food on top of it to protect the car. The worst that will happen is there's going to be a lingering mix of food smells in the car, but I can detail it once a week to clear that out."

Levi seemed only mildly pacified by that. He pushed away the pile of bills he'd been going over, and he sighed. Across from him on the other side of the dining table, Erwin provided his feedback.

"Levi, I'm sure Glen will take care of the car. He hasn't had any traffic incidents since getting his license. While he may not be as fastidious a cleaner as you, he's good about keeping things tidy for someone his age. I think it will be fine, and the twins need to develop work ethic some time. This may be a good start for him."

"It isn't like I'm going to be doing it full time," Glen pressed. "Just a few nights a week so I can keep buys and put away a little money. Lots of college kids are doing the same thing."

Now Erwin wasn't quite so relaxed about it. "Nights? As in after dark?"

Glen gave him a puzzled frown and nodded. "Well yeah, Dad. My campus classes run during the day, so I'll be doing most of the delivery runs after they're finished or on days I only have online classes. I can't just change my whole school schedule mid-term. It was hard enough to switch a couple of my classes to internet spots at short notice."

Erwin rubbed the bridge of his nose and removed the silver reading glasses he was wearing to go over the bills with Levi. "I hadn't thought of that. I assume you'll be conducting a lot of these deliveries downtown?"

Glen's frown deepened, and he folded his arms over his chest. "Yeah. You know, like where I usually go on the weekends to hang out with my friends? It isn't like I don't know my way around and Downtown is where a lot of the restaurants people order from happen to be. If I just stick with suburbs and rural areas I won't make much profit. What's the big deal?"

Erwin exchanged a glance with Levi, and he tapped his glasses lightly on the table. "I would just feel more comfortable if you tried to stick with daylight hours for this side work."

"Why?" Glen threw his hands up. "Night time is when delivery services are busiest! I go downtown at night regularly, so why are you being like this all the sudden?"

"I think your Dad's worried about the crime statistics against delivery drivers," Levi pointed out, watching his husband briefly before meeting Glen's eyes again. "It's not your driving he's worried about, kid."

"That's right," agreed Erwin. "Delivery drivers make attractive robbery targets. As a former officer of the law, I'm well aware of how frequently it occurs. I've seen pizza guys come into the station beaten black and blue because someone jumped them on the way to their car or to someone's door. Some of the worst cases involve sexual assault or even murder. Look it up if you don't believe me."

His explanation gave Glen pause. "Well, the same thing could happen to someone just walking through a parking garage, too. What do you want me to do, lock myself up at night and never go out?"

"I didn't say that," defended Erwin gently. "I just have some reservations that I think are perfectly natural for a parent."

"They let us decide which delivery requests to accept," Glen assured him. "I'll have total control over what parts of town I go to. If it looks like the customer's in a bad neighborhood, I'll just pass it up for some other driver to take. Plus, I can even set which blocks I will or won't deliver to, so once I sit down and take care of that, I won't even get requests for those areas. Does that help?"

"How do they make any money if nobody delivers to half their customer base?" wondered Levi. "Not that I'd want you to, but I don't get it."

"I guess there are plenty of other drivers willing to take more risks." Glen shrugged. "The big guys and alphas probably don't pick and choose so much."

Erwin pushed his seat back from the table and got out of it. He approached Glen, looked him up and down and placed his hands on the young omega's shoulders. "All right. I can't forbid you from doing it at your age, but I want you to promise me that you'll avoid anything shady. Don't meet customers in alleys. If their door isn't well-lit and visible from the street, you have them come out to you. If they give you a wrong address and request you to meet them somewhere else—such as an area you normally wouldn't deliver to—cancel it. Listen to your instincts and if anything feels off, call your dispatch and tell them you don't feel safe making the drop off."

"Yeah, I know. They covered all of that in the introduction when I applied."

"And don't enter anyone's house," cautioned Erwin. "Even if they look completely harmless. You never know who could be lurking out of sight."

"Dad, I don't think—"

"And if you feel even the slightest tingle of heat symptoms while you're on a route, I don't care if you're pulling up to someone's door with an entire car load of food. Stop what you're doing and get home."

"I will, but—"

"If you break down," interrupted Erwin, "take advantage of the roadside assistance included with your insurance coverage. Don't try to change a tire yourself at night. Let them come and do what we pay them for, and you _call_ us to let us know where you are, all right? I don't care what time it is."

"Erwin, that's enough," Levi stated, coming to Glen's rescue. "He gets it, okay? He's just taking a part-time job, not going off to war."

The tall blond compressed his lips briefly, falling into silence. He stared at Glen, hugged him and offered one last piece of advice. "And don't take on more than you can handle, son. You need to have a little free time for yourself."

"Okay," Glen tried to say, but his words were muffled against his dad's chest.

Erwin stepped away to let him breathe, and Levi took the alpha's place. He didn't hug Glen but he muttered his own suggestion into his ear. "Keep your fighting moves up to form. I'm not saying you'll have to use them, but _if you do_ , don't try to showoff. Disable and get the hell out, got it?"

Glen heaved a long-suffering sigh. Just when he thought Levi was on board, he demonstrated the same over-protectiveness as Erwin...even if it was dialed down a bit.

"I will, Papa."

* * *

Delivering food, as it turned out, was more stressful than Glen had anticipated. He quickly learned that he needed to turn off his availability once he accepted a delivery, because on his first run out he got three requests one after the other and he lost a rating star because the third delivery ran late. Until he got the hang of things, he decided it was best not to accept other deliveries while already in the process of making one.

That seemed to help make it more manageable. The next problem he ran into was in _finding_ the damned customers once he made it to his destination. While Glen knew the city well, he wasn't familiar with the layout of a lot of the apartment complexes. The buildings weren't in proper chronological order most of the time, so he sometimes spent an extra five or ten minutes just trying to find the right one. Requesting a property map from security helped with some of them, but with others he would have to go to the leasing office during their business hours to get his hands on it.

Then there were the idiots that didn't even know their own address. They would get one number off, they'd confuse a street with an avenue and send him completely the wrong way, or they'd forget to give him their unit number so he'd know which door to knock on at rental properties.

Glen soon discovered another frustrating thing about delivery customers; they seemed to think he had a flying car or the ability to teleport. The first time he arrived at a gated property and realized he had no security code to get in, he just shrugged it off as a fluke and called the customer. Then it happened a second time, and a third after that. By his fourth shift on his new job, he'd been stuck at security gates or doors at least a dozen times.

"Fuck," snapped Glen upon entering the high rise he was trying to deliver to on Friday night. It was another secured building, and he glared angrily at the directory box as he scanned through the names and failed to find his customer's on there.

With a sigh, he got out his cell phone, selected the call option to quickly reach the number given and tried to adopt his dad's patience while he waited for the other line to pick up. "Hi, this is your Food Grab driver. I'm downstairs in the lobby now but I need a code to get through the door to the elevator."

"Oh," said the guy on the other line. "Uh...I don't know any code, man."

Glen's eyes narrowed, and his jaw tightened. "Do you have another name I could search for on the directory, then?" The moron probably didn't even live there. Probably just visiting a friend or watching someone's place for them. Still, he should have had that information available if he wanted fucking food brought to the door.

"How about I just meet you down there?" offered the customer. "I just moved in and I don't think they've got me set up on the directory yet."

The excuse seemed reasonable enough. "All right. I'll wait here then."

Glen hung up, adjusted the delivery bag hanging on his arm and waited as patiently as he could. The guy was up on the sixth floor, so it took a while for the elevator to make it down and for him to step out and approach. He was about middle-aged with a lanky frame and long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Glen found him unremarkable. The omega tried to put on a pleasant face as the customer used his key card to open the lobby door and take the food Glen pulled out of his warming bag.

"Sorry about that, man," offered the customer. "First time living in a secured building for me."

Glen had to bite his tongue. He wanted to inform the man that every fucking moment he had to spend looking for or waiting on a customer, he was missing out on other deliveries and thus losing money. It was especially shitty for a customer to both take up his time and then stiff him on top of that.

"Here," offered the guy, handing over a five and two singles. "You deserve extra, kid. Thanks for going through the trouble."

Glen's ire faded, and he smiled without realizing it. "Hey, thanks. Hope you enjoy your sweet and sour pork." He handed the plastic bag containing the foam containers of the man's order over to him. "See ya."

Glen pocketed the cash, somewhat relieved. At least tonight he'd made two tips. People for some reason weren't as generous with their tips to independent contract drivers as they were with regular pizza or takeout delivery people. So far, most of the money he was making came from the percentage they paid in delivery fees and his mileage.

"Definitely wouldn't want to be stuck doing this for a living," muttered the omega as he trotted back down the building entrance stairs to his waiting car.

Still, it was better than sitting around dwelling on his uncertain future, his chances of living a normal life either with or without a soul mate. With that in mind, Glen unlocked the hatchback, tossed his insulated delivery bag in the passenger seat and got his phone out to make himself available again for another trip request.

* * *

Erwin didn't move from his position at the living room window, not even when a slim yet strong pair of hands settled on his shoulders to knead at them.

"He's going to come home fine," his mate insisted softly. "Just like he did last night, and the night before. Doing your gargoyle impersonation doesn't make it happen faster, and your putting un-necessary strain on your fucking back. You might be recovered, but you've still got to take it easy for a while."

Erwin grunted, unmoved. He understood that he was being over-protective of Glen, but he excused that on the fact that he was their only omega child and the world was a more dangerous place for his type. He'd seen too much with his own eyes to pretend otherwise. Glen was especially vulnerable until his heats were fully normalized, and this too played a factor in Erwin's worry.

There was a soft sigh from Levi, and then those deft, strong little hands circled around to the blond's front. Levi embraced him from behind, and he stroked Erwin's chest and stomach before starting to unbutton his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Erwin asked, admittedly distracted by the move.

Levi nuzzled the alpha's left shoulder blade, pausing to bite playfully at it. He opened the bigger man's shirt, hands snaking in to explore. "Exercising my marital rights," he explained dryly, "and helping you take a little focus off of your parental anxiety."

"Levi, now isn't the—"

"If we keep picking and choosing ideal moments," interrupted the omega, "we'll turn into one of those detached couples in a sexless marriage. Remember when we _made_ time to fuck, Erwin? We used to do it in the same room with our kids when they were infants. We'd have quickies between feedings. You'd come home on your lunch breaks just to bang me before you had to go back to work."

"We were younger then, Levi." Erwin finally turned away from the window to face Levi, and he smiled in a pacifying manner. "And back then, our kids were still young enough to order around and keep out of major trouble. It's different now. We're essentially powerless over the direction of their choices, save for Alex."

"We also have more free time than ever before," Levi pointed out. He started working Erwin's belt buckle loose. "Kolby's staying at the dorm with Penny tonight, Alex is in bed and Glen probably won't be home for another hour. Like it or not, he's an adult now and we've got to stop obsessing over his safety. Worry when there's something to worry about. Don't start neglecting our relationship over things you can't control, blondie."

"I'm not trying to...mmm...you're...very persistent, aren't you?" Erwin's lids fluttered shut as his mate rose on his tip-toes to kiss his clavicle, while at the same time, burrowing a hand into his trousers to feel him up. Despite his earlier attempt to delay Levi's attentions, he stirred under the persistent touch.

"When I know I can get what I want? Sure." Levi smirked against Erwin's throat, and his hand steadily rubbed and squeezed. "This bond we have gives me the advantage of knowing when you're really not in the mood and when you're just being stubborn. Works both ways, big stuff."

That much was true, and Erwin had used that to his benefit before as well. There were times when he woke up horny and Levi was still asleep, but it only took some cajoling foreplay to get Levi ready. While some might say the pair bond could be intrusive, it brought with it the perk of being able to sense a partner's feelings regardless of how their words or body language came off.

Erwin grunted when Levi squeezed firmly, now beginning to throb. There was barely any room in his pants now for his swelling junk and Levi's hand. The omega's actions were hampered by the snug space left to work with, but he kept going.

"There's no winning with you," sighed Erwin, and then he let his urges take over. He cupped Levi's ass, pulled him up tight against him and lifted him. The smaller male took his cue, wrapping his arms around Erwin's neck and hugging his waist with his thighs.

"Nope. No winning. Unless you count the orgasms."

Erwin chuckled, and he carried his mate carefully out of the living room and down the hallway to their bedroom. It only strained his back a little now, and he was sure Levi wouldn't have pulled this move if he thought he couldn't handle it. It was humbling to remember when Erwin could scoop his omega up like a doll and carry him with ease, despite Levi being heavier than he looked due to his low body fat, high muscle ratio.

They made it through the bedroom door and Erwin breathed a silent prayer of thanks for managing to do it gracefully, without dropping his companion. He tried to nudge the door closed with his foot, but it was difficult to hold his balance and he nearly jinxed himself and spoiled his manly romantic gesture. Levi let go of his neck with one arm to push the door closed for him, sensing the issue. Then his mouth connected to Erwin's, and the embarrassment of the brief moment faded.

"It _has_ been a while," realized Erwin aloud, voice husky against his husband's lips. Over a week, now that he thought of it. That wasn't so unusual when the both of them were busy, but he only had three instructor classes a week and Levi was down to working part time hours at the center, four days a week for six hours. For a while they had a legitimate reason to restrict their lovemaking, and perhaps that had caused them to fall into some stagnancy even after recovery.

While Erwin was sure it was normal for most long-term beta couples to only engage in intimacy twice a month, it wasn't so common for alpha/omega pairings to do so. Even at middle age, their type had higher sex drives and he was sure even the geriatrics stayed sexually active well into their eighties.

"No shit," agreed Levi breathlessly. He huffed when Erwin dumped him onto the bed on his back, and he looked up at the blond accusingly.

"Sorry," grunted Erwin. "That wasn't on purpose. I...slipped."

Levi's gaze softened with the admission that Erwin had simply lost his hold on him. "It's all right. Come here, sexy."

Erwin didn't need further invitation. He locked the door behind him and practically dove onto the bed. Now that his blood was stirred, he felt a return of that eagerness he'd known as a younger man, back when he and Levi were taking the first steps into an intimate relationship. A week and some change wasn't _that_ long, he supposed, but now it felt like he'd gone without Levi's touch for a greater stretch of time.

Erwin sought out Levi's mouth urgently, connecting a rather sloppy kiss. He fumbled with the omega's shirt, pulling it out of the tuck in his pants and slipping his hands up and under it. Levi made a low sound of aroused approval, his breath catching as the blond's fingers tweaked his nipples. He rolled his hips, grinding himself against Erwin's greater bulk when the alpha's hips settled between his thighs.

"That's more like it," encouraged Levi.

His hands started working at Erwin's clothes as well, just as needy. Before long, articles of their clothing were messily discarded to lay wherever thrown. A sock and a shirt on the bed, a pair of pants hanging precariously over the footboard, other garments peppering the floor. For once, Levi didn't seem to give a damn about the disorganization. His tongue wrestled with Erwin's and his breathing was harsh and uneven. Erwin was likewise desperate, arranging Levi's limbs so that he had him spread wide beneath him.

He fingered his omega hastily, hearing his pulse pounding in his ears. Finding Levi wet for him, Erwin hardly paused for foreplay. He sensed from his partner that Levi didn't care to waste any time, felt his keen hunger to be filled. Erwin obliged him, gasping as he lined up and merged with the squirming, pale treat beneath him.

Levi's eyes widened on the initial breach, meeting Erwin's for a moment. There was nothing but pleasure flowing through the spiritual link, assuring the blond that the reaction was one of awed relief, rather than discomfort. Erwin held his gaze and began to move. Levi's eyes rolled as his insides were stretched and massaged by Erwin's thick length. A purr sounded in his throat, his hands splayed over Erwin's chest and started stroking it encouragingly. He tilted and raised his pelvis, encouraging deeper strokes.

"Oh yeah," gasped Levi, eyes going blank with pleasure. "Fuck, I needed this."

The admission spurred Erwin's lust. "Levi..."

He grabbed his mate's hands in his, holding them in a way he'd learned over the years that wouldn't make Levi feel too restrained. He pumped smoothly yet urgently, panting. Felt that sleek little body ripple against his, athletic muscles bunching and relaxing as the omega synched his movements up with his.

They became one, striving together to reach that moment of bliss when the world would fade away from them and leave nothing but the sensation and exchange of emotions between the two of them. Levi's fingertips dug into Erwin's shoulders and back, his breathy cries deep and low against his chest. He nipped at the alpha's collarbone and chest with his teeth, little love stings to spur Erwin further.

It wasn't the longest coupling by any means, but it was the most satisfying and spontaneous sexual encounter they'd had for some time. Erwin came at the same time as Levi, prompted by the pulses of bliss spilling out through their bond when the omega started arriving.

Shaken and breathless, Erwin bowed his head and trembled with the effort not to collapse completely on top of his mate. Levi was likewise panting with release, combing his fingers through Erwin's now mussed blond, silver-streaked hair. The omega whimpered a little when Erwin knotted inside of him, and his ass clenched and quivered around the blond's length with follow-up micro orgasms.

"Mmm," hummed Erwin approvingly, going still to appreciate the feel of Levi's body drawing him deeper and massaging his cock, as if milking it of every drop of cum. They couldn't make babies anymore, but biology still went through the appropriate motions and it felt fucking great.

"Nnnh...feels so good," announced Levi. He licked Erwin's throat, shuddering and wrapping his legs around his torso. "H-hey...are you...are you getting...thick again?"

Erwin grunted in response, hardly believing it himself. The throbbing was intensifying fast. Levi's rhythmic clenching around him was fast pushing him toward the edge again. "Fuck. Don't move."

"Like I...could go anywhere," reminded Levi in a gasp. He stared up at Erwin with a mixture of curiosity and wonder. "Holy shit...you about to come again?"

"I...I..." He felt like it had been years since he recovered so fast and came more than once in an hour. It hit Erwin then, less intense than the first one but nonetheless gratifying. He groaned and pulsed inside of his mate, bowing his head. "Fuck!"

Levi squeezed his shoulders, gasping at the sensation of being filled again. When it faded and Erwin hovered over him weak and shaking, the omega produced a soft sound of amusement.

"Heh. Two 'f-bombs' in a row from you. That's got to be a record."

"Goes along with...the two orgasms," panted Erwin. He lifted his head and smiled goofily down at his flushed mate. "What did you do, spike my night cap with some kind of enhancement formula?"

Levi shook his head. "Nope. That was all you, big guy. I guess you were just saving it up."

"I guess you're right," sighed Erwin. His knot shrank—something that would have taken a bit longer to occur back in the day—and he carefully withdrew from Levi. He scooted down on the bed to lie on top of his mate, resting his head against Levi's chest with a sigh.

"That was some diversion, love."

"Glad to be of service." Levi ruffled Erwin's hair. "I needed it just as bad as you, though. So are we gonna make a concentrated effort to do that more from now on, or what?"

"Definitely." Erwin grinned sleepily, awash in the afterglow. There was some slippery mess between their bodies from their activities, but he knew Levi wouldn't complain until the lull of satisfaction faded and he became more aware of it.

A beam of light filtered through the bedroom blinds, scintillating and muted by the gauzy curtain between the blackout drapes. Erwin lifted his head, reached out and thumbed at the blinds to part them enough to peer through.

"Looks like Glen's pulling up."

"Mmm." Levi nodded, and despite his attempts to be nonchalant, Erwin could sense his quiet relief echoing his own. "Told you he'd come home fine, just like last night and the night before."

"Don't be cocky," mumbled Erwin, dropping his head back to Levi's chest. "You were as worried as me. You're just...more subtle about it."

Levi shrugged, and his hand stroked Erwin's back. "I'm as much of a parent as you are, true. I just don't have the alpha influence putting me into overdrive."

Erwin almost wanted to respond to that, but it rang true. He was, he admitted, more protective than his mate of the younger twin. That wasn't to say that Levi wouldn't tear someone a new asshole if they so much as looked at Glen cross-eyed, but Levi was more empathetic with the boy, on account of living life as an omega and having a greater understanding of what he was going through.

"Hey, I'm home," Glen's voice called out, followed by the dull thud of the front door closing. "Helpless Omega Glen, reporting in. You can stop worrying now and chill. I'm going to have a soda and go to my room. I'll let you guys know if I have a dump while I'm at it."

Erwin muffled his laughter against Levi's chest as the omega heaved a sigh, looked up at the ceiling and shook his head.

"You know he gets it—"

"From me," finished Levi for him. "Yeah, we've already established that."

* * *

Things seemed to start settling down after a while. Glen was more or less pleased with the balance between school, work and personal free time. Not that he had much of the latter; he was deliberately keeping himself as busy as possible so that he _wouldn't_ have too much free time on his hands.

Glen found that he could apply himself better to his studies now that so much of that free time was occupied. He left such sparse wiggle room that his life became little more than work, school an sleep. In fact, his twin noticed as much and commented on it one evening when Glen finished doing some deliveries and picked him up from campus.

"Bro, nobody sees you anymore," Kolby complained. "Not even me, and we shared a womb. Penny's been asking about you and so has everyone else."

"Define 'everyone else," challenged Glen softly.

Kolby shrugged, zipped up his backpack and adjusted it on the passenger side floor. "You know...the people we usually hang out with."

"You mean the people _you_ usually hang out with," corrected the omega with a smirk. "I don't really connect with that bunch. If they're asking about me, it's just to be polite 'cause I'm your brother."

"That's not true. People really like you, Glen." Almost under his breath, Kolby added: _"Especially the alphas."_

"What was that?" Glen smirked at the older twin. "I couldn't quite hear you."

"You know what I said," sighed Kolby. He shrugged. "Yes, I'm still protective of you and I'm probably always going to be. At least until you pair-bond or marry."

"Hmph. Don't hold your breath."

"Look, my point is people think you're cool and interesting. Maybe some of them only ask because you're my brother, but I'm sure Chase and Raymond at least are sincerely asking because they like _you_."

"Is this your way of trying to set me up with someone?" teased Glen.

Kolby shrugged. "Not exactly, but would it kill you to give more guys your own age a chance? I think Chase is an okay guy. I know your standards and he's got the right look for you; brown hair, tall, attractive. I know guys our age can be dicks, but—"

"How do you know he's really even into me?" Glen demanded, picturing the young man in his mind. "Did he come right out and say it or something? Most guys are too scared to talk about me around you after hearing about some of the reactions you've had to people hitting on me in the past."

"He didn't approach me with it," admitted Kolby. "I just overheard him and Raymond talking on the way to class the other day, and your name came up."

Glen raised a brow. "And what did they say that didn't earn them a sucker punch from you?"

Kolby grinned and lowered his gaze. "Well, Ray came close to pushing it, to be honest. He said you were hot. Chase said you're kind of exotic and mysterious."

"Oh." It made sense to Glen now, why Kolby was suggesting Chase as a potential boyfriend to him. He'd apparently expressed admiration for Glen without using objectifying language, and for Kolby, that was a plus.

"Well, he's cute and all, but he's...he's..."

"Not Dr. Eklund?"

Glen froze, and he eyed his twin irritably, compressing his lips.

"Look," sighed Kolby, "I know you think a lot of that guy. I know he's helped you out a lot with your cycles. I'm sure you tell him some things that you don't tell anyone else, too. Not even me."

Glen looked away. "What's your point? He's my doctor. I'm _supposed_ to tell him stuff about my cycles, dummy."

"That's my point," insisted Kolby. "He's your doctor. You're his _patient_. Even if there wasn't the age gap—"

"Hey, lots of people date outside their own age bracket," reminded Glen. "Not that there's anything going on with Gustav and me, but even if there was, the age difference wouldn't be anyone's business but ours, got it?"

"Okay, I get that. You have a thing for older men. The whole family knows that, and I think we've all accepted it and prepared ourselves as best we can for the day you bring home someone a decade or more older than you and announce an engagement."

"You keep talking like I'm even interested in settling down with anyone. You and Dad are both so fucking determined to assign a life script to me. Maybe you should both take a page from Papa and Dylan's book and let me make my own choices."

"Here we go again with the alpha-shaming," muttered Kolby.

"Some alphas need to be reminded that omegas don't need our hands held by them through every step we take in life."

Glen nearly missed the on-ramp, and he cursed and had to slow down to let the car next to him pass so that he could get in the turn lane. "And it isn't 'alpha-shaming'. If it was, I wouldn't mention how supportive Dyl's been. I'm not bitching about your type, bro. I'm bitching about how you and Dad both use it as an excuse to smother me sometimes."

"I'm not trying to smother you!"

"Then stop trying to herd me in the direction you want me to go," snapped Glen. "Damn, just be my brother. I'm under enough pressure as it is."

"You didn't even let me finish what I was trying to say earlier," defended Kolby.

"Then what were you trying to say, already? All I heard was the beginning of a lecture about who I should be dating and who I should stay away from."

Kolby rubbed his forehead as if it was paining him. "Okay, I can see how it might have sounded that way. I just wanted to offer an alternative to pining over someone you can't date. That's all."

"Who says I'm 'pining'?" Demanded Glen. Only the driving skills he'd developed since he started delivering kept him from veering out of his lane. He kept his gaze carefully focused on the highway even as he argued with his brother. "Just because I think the guy's good-looking doesn't mean I'm some lovesick idiot. Besides, what law would we be breaking if—and I'm talking hypothetically—me and the doc ever hooked up? You think no doctors have ever ended up going out with their patients before?"

"Not while they were treating them," insisted Kolby. "I'm sure there's some kind of ethical rule against it. You don't think it would cause a conflict of interest? Think about it, Glen. How many rules has Aunt Hange broken for our family over the years? How many times has she risked her license for us out of love for us? Getting too emotionally invested in patients really isn't good for someone practicing medicine. Why do you think so many doctors refer their family members to someone else instead of treating them themselves? It's because they know they might not make the best medical decisions. They can't maintain a professional perspective when it comes to loved ones, so they rely on someone who can for any important medical treatment."

Glen frowned, unable to dispute that. It irritated him that his brother was right, but he refused to bow completely. "I don't even know how we got here. I'm not dating Dr. Eklund in secret, if that's what you're thinking. I'm just keeping myself busy. I don't have time to date _anyone_ right now, and that's fine by me."

"Okay, I'll drop it." Kolby glanced at the highway signs, and then he looked at Glen again. "But I really think you should try to slow down a little, imp. Once we graduate, the chances to goof off are going to be fewer and further between. We've got some time before we have to do real 'adulting'. After we graduate, we've got to get real jobs, find our own place and pay all of our own bills. Don't piss away the opportunity to have some fun before obligatory responsibilities suck up all your time."

Glen couldn't think of a rebuttal for that. There really wasn't one. Again, Kolby was right. People his age took every chance they could get to have fun. Some of them wouldn't make it through college because they'd overdo it and fail their courses. Others would balance fun and responsibility so that they could earn their degree, but almost none of them sacrificed as much free time as Glen was.

Of course, most of his peers didn't have the same burden as Glen. For them, fun was just fun. For Glen, fun tended to just leave to trouble.

It was on the tip of the young omega's tongue to confess to his brother what really happened that day at the music festival. The guilt he felt for keeping it from Kolby wasn't fading, and his twin's expressed awareness that Glen told his doctor things he didn't even share with him was a potent reminder.

The only thing that kept the truth sealed behind Glen's lips was the lingering feeling of humiliation. His brother was convinced that his standards were so strict that no guy stood a chance with him. He probably thought he was still a virgin, even though Kolby knew Glen had fooled around here and there. Maybe he even had himself convinced that Glen wouldn't put out for anyone at least until after college, if not after marriage. Both Kolby and Erwin seemed convinced of that, in fact.

It made Glen feel a little sick to his stomach to think of what his dad and his twin would think of him if they knew he'd given it up to a guy he'd known for less than a day.

* * *

Gustav looked over the medical chart of his favorite patient carefully, for perhaps the third time in the same day. It wasn't a stretch, he mused, to say that he was a bit obsessed with Glen Smith. That didn't entirely sit well with him. So far he'd maintained his bedside manner and professionalism, but he knew the signs that he was getting to close.

The same thing had happened to him early on in his medical career when he started out in a general care clinic. It wasn't the same situation by a mile; his patient back then had been a little girl with Leukemia who was assigned to him for basic monthly checkups while she underwent chemo. Gustav got to know her during her visits, and in doing so, he got attached. He started to think of her almost as a little sister, and before he knew it, he was expanding his knowledge beyond general care and into medicine because he wanted to do more to help her beat her disease.

It hadn't ended well. Little Maja eventually lost her battle and succumbed to the cancer, as so many victims her age had before. Gustav had been internally devastated. He'd cried on his sister's shoulder—the only person in his family he felt he could show vulnerability to—and then he'd started making his plans to leave Sweden and practice in another country.

His feelings for Glen weren't brotherly at all.

Gustav frowned, his dark gaze locking on the word _"symptoms"_ in Glen's medical file. No, he didn't feel the same way about the free-spirited, clever little blond. Glen had come into his life as a child and Gustav watched him grow into a very attractive, very talented young man. He liked Glen's personality. He was cheeky, witty and he managed to bring a smile to Gustav's face with his candid humor and apparent lack of social filters.

"What am I thinking?" he murmured to himself in Swedish, shaking his head. He needed to ground himself again. His imagination was taking off, inhibiting his common sense and driving him to selfish thoughts.

Of course, these thoughts kept leading him down the path to other ones that were better left unsaid, and Gustav's jaw tightened as he shifted in his seat to relieve the growing pressure between his legs.

This was unacceptable. He saved his work, closed down the program and got up from his desk. Walking out of his home office, he went into his living room, looked around at a loss for a while and then crossed over to the bay window overlooking the city below. Sitting down on the window seat. Propping the throw pillows up and pushing his slippers off, the agitated doctor pulled his blinds up to view the metropolis spreading out on the horizon.

Watching the city at night somehow calmed him whenever he was in a busy frame of mind. He stared at the lights of the traffic meandering around below and on the cityscape horizon, and he tried not to think unprofessional thoughts of his patient.

* * *

"Here's your gyro pack. Thanks for ordering."

Glen suppressed a frown as the reek of pot smoke radiated from his latest customer. The guy was a beta around his age; maybe about five years older. He had straw blond hair that was mussed as if he'd been snoozing when Glen rang his doorbell. His eyes were bloodshot and he slurred as he took the bag and spoke.

"Wow, I ordered a lot of food. Guess the munchies will do that. Thanks, dude."

Glen had to fight harder not to scowl at him. Obviously this guy was going to stiff him like the last two. He'd thought delivering on the weekend at night would net more money for him, but people were just as stingy as they were on weekdays, apparently.

This would be the third stoner he'd brought food to this evening. He didn't care what people did in their personal time, but he admittedly hated delivering to the pot heads because their habit carried with it such a pungent stink it made his head spin. The first one made it worth his while and tipped him seven dollars, but apparently this guy wasn't so generous.

"Enjoy," Glen said as neutrally as he could, in a hurry to escape the smell so he could breathe through his nose again without gagging. He started to turn and walk back down the porch steps, but then another voice got his attention.

"Hey, hold up."

Glen stopped with one foot on the sidewalk and the other still on the bottom step. He turned to look back up at the open doorway to the little brick house, and he saw a rather attractive, tall young man standing next to his customer. The guy had blue eyes and black, shoulder-length layered hair. Broad shoulders, narrow hips and a certain presence that Glen had come to associate with alpha males. He was really cute, Glen noted. An intake of breath through his nose had the unintended result of confirming Glen's suspicion of his type. He could smell that earthy, musky undertone that only omegas seemed to be alert to.

"Yeah?" Glen's disposition softened for a moment, until he realized that it was his omega impulses making him feel inclined to gentle himself. He stood up straighter, holding his chin up. "Something wrong with the order?"

"No." The alpha took to the steps, descending with the easy, unconscious predatory grace of his kind. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans, and he nudged his unkempt companion, glancing at him. "Did you tip him?"

"No," answered the blond, looking suddenly uncomfortable. He shrugged. "They get paid for this, right?"

The dark-haired alpha frowned and gave his beta friend a disgusted look. "Dick. He's using _his_ car, not some company one he doesn't have to pay out of pocket to upkeep. Next time don't fucking order if you can't spare a few bucks for the driver."

Impressed, Glen's brows went up. He watched as the alpha dug his wallet out and opened it up, surprised to be defended so readily. The blond guy mumbled something under his breath and went inside with his meal while his friend offered Glen four dollars.

"Here you go. Sorry about that."

"Thanks." Glen accepted the tip, and he gazed up at the attractive alpha curiously. He could smell that alpha scent more acutely, and he wondered if this guy had recently had or was due for a rut. Glen's body heated, and he looked away hastily. "Most people wouldn't have said anything."

"Most people are assholes," shot back the alpha. He folded his arms over his chest, smirked and leaned back against the door frame with a shrug. "I've been in food service though, so I know how it sucks to get stiffed."

"Yeah. Well, have a good one." Glen started to leave, worried that if he hung around much longer, he'd start having a bigger reaction to the pheromones the alpha was putting off. It occurred to him that he was about due for another heat, if his cycles stayed on track as they seemed to have been doing.

_~Shit.~_

Glen felt it then; that warning tingle starting in his pelvis. It was coming on faster than it had the last time, and he attributed that to the scent that his benefactor was giving off. He started to hurry away, but a parting shot from the alpha gave him pause.

"Hey, does the driver come with the order?"

Glen turned around to look at him, eyes widening slightly. The alpha gave an apologetic grin and spread his hands. "Sorry, couldn't resist. You probably get that a lot from people. I was just messing with you."

Sensing that it was all in jest and perhaps satire against lame pickup lines, Glen grinned back. "It's not that kind of delivery service, and yeah, I've heard that line before."

"At least I made you smile. Be safe out there, kid."

Glen nodded, keeping his thoughts internalized. The guy might have meant it as a joke, but for one brief second, Glen felt an impulse to tell him that yes, he came with the order. It was so stupid and reckless that he _knew_ that reaction had to be coming from his hormones, and he thought it best to get the hell out of there.

"Thanks. I'll try."

Glen got into his car, locked the doors and cranked the engine hastily. His body temperature was rising fast. He changed his availability to inactive on his delivery app, unwilling to take chances. His symptoms were coming on too fast to risk trying to make it through another trip. Going home before it started overwhelming him was his best option now.

* * *

-To be continued


	8. Chapter 8

Gustav found temporary relief from his nagging urges via jerking off, and then he took a nap afterwards. He was startled awake from his doze by his phone going off, and he snatched it up off the coffee table by his couch and juggled it when he nearly dropped it. Seeing Glen's name come up on the caller ID, he didn't hesitate to answer.

"Hello, Glen. Is everything all right?"

"Actually, no." Glen's voice was tense with distress. "I didn't know who else to call, Doc. My parents would shit if they found out! I thought of Dylan, but he probably wouldn't keep this from them either."

"Glen, slow down," advised Gustav, sitting up straighter with a tingle of alarm racing through him. "Tell me what's happened. Are you safe?"

"Y-yeah. Well, sort of. I was out doing deliveries and I started having symptoms. I've been keeping myself so busy I forgot how close I was to another cycle. Anyway, I started going home but this jackass cut me off in traffic, and then he started chasing me after I flipped him off for it. He followed me onto the interstate and all the way to my exit, and then he ran me off the road!"

Gustav stopped breathing for a second. Adrenaline kicked in, along with his protective instincts. "Is he anywhere near you now? Have you called the police?"

"He took off after I blew my tire on the curb," answered Glen. "No, I haven't called the police because I've got too many relatives and family friends working for them. I got my car off the main road and onto a side road out of sight. Can...can you come help me? I'm trying to change the tire, but I'm getting pretty weak."

"Glen, I really think you should call your family," suggested Gustav with a frown. "They won't be mad at you. This was a road rage incident, and it wasn't your fault."

Glen took a shaken breath. "You don't get it! If they find out about this, they're going to make me stop delivering. I _need_ this, Doctor Eklund. It's keeping me busy and giving me some freedom. I've got my own money, I make my own schedule and I don't have a lot of free time to...to think about...never mind, but if they hear I went into a heat and got in an accident while out on the job, they'll flip. Especially my dad."

"But you aren't underage any more," reasoned Gustav. "They can't forbid you from working whatever job you want to."

"They can take the car from me," Glen informed him ominously. "Papa still has the title. Even if he doesn't decide to take my keys, Dad will put the pressure on him. Please." Glen's voice broke off, and he panted softly in the background for a moment. "You're the only one I could think of that might not run straight to my folks and tell on me. Please!"

"All right, Glen," soothed Gustav, helplessly caught. He could tell the young man was beyond the point of being reasoned with. Between his heat symptoms and the shock he must be in right now, Glen was in pure survival mode. "Give me a location and I'll be there as soon as I can. Try to stay calm, and stay in your car until I arrive."

* * *

Glen's knee bounced restlessly as he looked this way and that. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel, and he had the air conditioner cranked up full blast. Even that wasn't quite enough to keep him from sweating. He'd considered calling his insurance company for roadside assistance, but he had no way of knowing whether the person they'd send would turn out to be an alpha. Being around alphas he didn't know well when he was like this made him very nervous. Besides, it would have shown up on his monthly statement as an incident if he called for roadside assistance, and since is parents paid the bill, they'd see it and question him.

There was literally nobody else Glen could think of to call besides Dr. Eklund. He had an abundance of people that would rush to his aid in a heartbeat, but he couldn't ask any of them for help without word getting back to his parents. Erwin in particular had resisted the idea of Glen taking up food delivery, and this would just give him an excuse to put his foot down.

Having no idea what kind of car to look for, Glen did his best to keep his body temperature down and calm himself. He drank the rest of his bottled water and kept an eye out, fidgeting impatiently. His jeans were bulging with his arousal, but there was nothing he could do about that. He was sure that Gustav, being a rather specialized doctor, would understand and wouldn't judge him for having an erection in his condition.

It was still fucking embarrassing, though.

Glen heard a car honk from somewhere behind him, and he twisted in his seat to look. A pearl white sedan was coming up on the street behind Glen, slowing down to a stop. Glen recognized his handsome doctor in the driver's seat, and he couldn't be sure if his sigh was one of relief or trepidation. He needed the help, but being in the presence of an alpha he'd been crushing on was going to test Glen's fortitude right now.

Gustav cut his engine and stepped out of the car. He wore a pair of brown sunglasses over his eyes, and his chestnut, collar-length locks stirred in the twilight breeze. He was wearing a long-sleeved, dark teal shirt that fit his frame nicely, without being too tight or too loose. He wore a pair of gray jeans that fit in the same manner.

Damn, he was hot.

Glen turned around to face forward again, smacked himself in the face and took a deep, calming breath. He looked up when Gustav tapped on his driver's side window, and he lowered it so that he could speak to him.

"Are you all right?" was the first thing out of Gustav's mouth.

Glen nodded, purposely breathing through his mouth to avoid smelling the man's alpha scent. "Relatively, yeah. It doesn't look like there was any body damage to the car, but I haven't had a good look at the under carriage."

Gustav stepped back to survey the flat tire on the front driver's side. He considered it for a moment before squatting down to have a closer look. He stayed that way for a moment, leaning to one side and the other before announcing his opinion.

"It doesn't look like there's any damage to the rim. With luck, a blowout is all we need to deal with."

Glen nodded again, trusting the older male's judgment. It was hard to concentrate, even without taking a whiff of Gustav's scent.

Gustav straightened up again, glancing toward the back of Glen's hatchback. "I see you already got the spare and the jack out."

"Yeah. Tried to change it myself, but...well...you know." Glen looked down at his dirty hands with a frown, annoyed by his own helplessness. "I _do_ know how to change a tire. I've done it before. It usually wouldn't be a problem for me, but just getting that thing out of the trunk was a challenge for me this time."

"It's all right," soothed Gustav kindly. He opened the passenger side door for Glen. "We'll get you back on the road soon. Why don't you go and sit in my car while I take care of this?"

Glen bit his lip, lowered his gaze and nodded. So, this was chivalry. He'd seen his dad demonstrate it with his father countless times, and though Levi always played it off like it irritated him, he tended to blush just a little with obvious pleasure when his husband did something to spoil him.

_~Must be nice to have someone that worships the ground you walk on.~_

Glen's experiences with alphas outside his close friends and family didn't lend the impression that they were a gentlemanly lot...until now. He might have shared a moment with that cute alpha that tipped him earlier, but he'd never been the recipient of treatment like this before from one of their kind.

"Thank you," Glen said, and now his cheeks were even warmer. Trying not to act like some smitten little fanboy, he cut the engine, pocketed his keys and started to get out of the car. He was trying to do so in a way that wouldn't show the condition of his crotch too much, but it seemed impossible to conceal it without outright cupping a hand over it. He was further surprised when Gustav offered a hand to him, and he hesitated for just a second before taking it.

Gustav's hand remained clasped with Glens for perhaps longer than necessary after he helped him out of the car—or so it seemed to the young omega's feverish imagination. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. He walked over to the doctor's car, opened the passenger side door and then hesitated. He watched Gustav go for the car jack to begin, and he felt bad for dragging the man into this on what must be his day off.

"Can I do anything to help?" offered Glen.

Gustav paused in the act of positioning the car jack. He looked up at Glen from his squatted position, and he shook his head. "No, just try to relax and stay cool." He lowered his head a little to peer at Glen over the top of his shades, and there was brief glimpse of something primal in his brown eyes. "Besides, I think you would just distract me right now."

It took Glen a moment to realize what he meant. He was about to remind the man that he wasn't ignorant about car maintenance, just temporarily unable to do any heavy work. He snapped his mouth shut immediately when what remained of his coherent mind clicked on like a light bulb.

Gustav meant his scent, of course. Glen was just in the beginning stages of his heat, but he was probably putting off enough pheromones to trigger even a stoic alpha like the doctor. Gustav probably wasn't just thinking of the fatigue Glen was starting to suffer; he was also keeping his instinctive responses to the omega's scent in mind. Being in the car would prevent those pheromones from reaching Gustav and affecting him while he worked.

"Oh. Right."

Without further delay, Glen got into the car and shut the door.

"It doesn't mean anything," he muttered under his breath, trying not to get wrapped up in fantasies and further excited. "The guy's not made of stone. Just because he has a reaction to the smell doesn't mean he's into me personally."

It was difficult for Glen to accept that logic. It sure as hell didn't help that Gustav's ass was so fine and well-displayed under the stretch of his jeans as he bent over to start his task.

"Why do you have to be so fucking sexy?" groaned the omega, blaming his doctor entirely even though he knew none of this was Gustav's fault.

* * *

Gustav rigidly kept his mind on what he was doing, not on the fetching young man waiting in his car. He'd made the right call for the situation, he thought, but he was going to have an additional problem once he got Glen back on the road. Now his car was going to smell like the omega. He was going to need to drive home with his windows down in an attempt to air out the lingering fragrance, or he risked getting into a car accident himself.

Gustav finished putting on the spare tire, and he made sure to get the lug nuts nice and tight. He put the damaged tire in the trunk, along with the jack, and he closed the trunk. Wiping his hands off with the wet wipes he'd brought, he walked back over to his car and looked in at his passenger. Glen had his face turned away from the window, but Gustav could see by the rapid movement of his chest that the blond was panting. Sweat glistened on Glen's neck and jaw, and Gustav glanced down and noticed a damp spot on the crotch of the young man's pants.

He'd forgotten about the slick production. He should have thought to bring a towel with him, but his concern for Glen hadn't really allowed Gustav to plan that far ahead.

He opened the door and spoke, keeping a reasonable distance without acting like he was interacting with a leper. "Glen, I've finished. Are you able to drive?"

Glen jerked up straight, startled. He looked up at the alpha with parted lips and bright, feverish eyes. "I...think so. I don't know if I should...go home right now, though."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll have to explain why I've got the spare on my car," answered Glen with a sigh. "And then I've got to come up with a story of how I blew a tire, and my parents are gonna drill me over how long I waited to come home when I started going into heat. I just...don't have it in me to deal with it."

Gustav frowned. "Then what do you plan to do? Stay with a friend and wait it out?"

"I...don't know," admitted Glen. He pulled at his shirt, which was clinging to his body with sweat now. "Maybe rent a hotel room for a couple of days. Most of my friends are either on campus or live with their parents. I can't stay in a dorm that might have alphas, and I don't want to just show up asking to crash at someone's house without warning."

"Glen, I really think you should go home," advised Gustav sternly. "Blowouts happen sometimes. If you're that concerned about worrying your parents, you can say it happened on the interstate while you were going home. Staying at a hotel would be no safer for you now than staying at a dorm on campus. In fact, it would be more dangerous. You have no way of knowing what kind of people are staying next to you or how many of them are alphas."

"But—"

"I'm sorry, Glen," interrupted the doctor, "but I can't allow it. No, don't glare at me like that." Gustav smiled a bit, unable to help but admire the little omega's feistiness. "I'm not speaking to you as an overbearing alpha, but as a friend. I doubt anyone that cares for you would feel any differently about this plan you're thinking of. You aren't thinking clearly, and I'm trying to look out for you."

His explanation seemed to calm the blond's ire, at least enough to make him doubt his own idea. "Could I...come stay with you?"

"With me?" repeated Gustav, dumbfounded.

Glen nodded, and he scooted closer to the door. He reached out to clutch at the doctor's arm, and Gustav didn't dare move closer. "Yeah, you. You're my doctor. You know how to take care of me. You could treat it like a house call."

"But we would be in _my_ house," said Gustav a bit dryly, trying to be humorous while gently reasoning with his ailing companion. "That's generally not how it's done, and in the event that I ever do need to make a house call for something like this, it's always supervised. I won't bother to explain how unprofessional it would be for me to do as you ask. The risk isn't just in the loss of my license to practice, Glen."

"What, you're worried about my 'virtue'?" Glen smirked up at him, wry in spite of his condition. "I already told you that's gone. Besides..."

Glen leaned forward, and to Gustav's consternation—and admittedly excitement—the comely young man nuzzled his face against Gustav's stomach. "You've always been good to me. Always so fucking kind and patient and...and understanding. You'd never take advantage of me, would you? You'd never hurt me."

Gustav wasn't generally a religious man, but at the moment, he prayed to the heavens that he would maintain Glen's shining impression of him and not slip up. A part of him dearly wanted to do at least part of what Glen thought he wasn't capable of. He wanted to take advantage of the omega's vulnerability and relieve his urges on that sweet body of his. A bigger part of him, the part that had come to care so deeply for Glen and his family, wouldn't allow baser instincts to rule.

Gustav bent over, cupped Glen's face and urged him to pull back. He looked into those stunning blue eyes and he spoke very softly and gently to him. "No Glen, I would never take advantage of you, and I would never hurt you. That's why I have to decline your request."

He brushed his thumbs over Glen's heated cheekbones, forcing himself not to get any closer. If he did, he might kiss him. "I have my limits too, so it's for the best that we get you safely home. When this passes and you feel more like yourself, I think you'll understand."

Glen made a whining sound in his throat, and he swallowed. "I don't know what I'm thinking. I practically . Why am I being so damned needy?"

"Because you're in need," reasoned the doctor seriously. "There's no reason to be ashamed, Glen. As inconvenient as our biology can be, nature knew what it was doing when designing our kind. In nearly every species, only the females are equipped to carry offspring and give birth. The only other exception to this rule that we know of is the seahorse."

Glen's face screwed up. "You've lost me. How did we get on the subject of marine biology?"

Gustav smiled at him. "I'm telling you that you are unique, Glen. Like a seahorse, in your way. As an omega, you hold a power of creation that other men can't achieve. Whether you decide to use that power or not some day is entirely up to you, but I hope you'll try to keep that in mind when you feel like your heats are a curse. We've already found a way to give you more control over it. As much as you resent it at times, if it weren't for the special biology of the omega type, you wouldn't be here today...and that would be a shame."

The flush already present from his condition deepened in Glen's cheeks. "So...you're glad I'm here and you think I should be glad I'm an omega, is that it?"

"Something like that," Gustav allowed. Glen had it half right, at least. As for the rest, Gustav was trying to encourage him to appreciate himself more and not be so down on himself when his impulses drove him to say or do things he normally wouldn't. Glen wasn't in the right state of mind for complex discussion, so it would have to wait for later.

"Now," Gustav said, backing up and holding the car door open, "I think we should get you home while you're still capable of driving. You'll be much more comfortable in your own room, and far safer than in some cheap motel room, yes?"

"I guess so. Just hope my dad doesn't go 'den mother' on me."

Gustav chuckled, remembering well the last conversation he'd had with Erwin Smith. The man would kill for his children; particularly Glen. "He's devoted to the safety of his family. You could do worse for yourself than to have such fiercely loving parents."

Glen seemed to consider that bit of insight, and he nodded, followed by a shrug. "Dad's a good guy. Always has been. Sometimes he's just _too_ good, you know? He gets his sights so set on the mission that he forgets why he's even doing it."

Gustav stared at the young man, not seeing his physical beauty this time, but seeing something deeper in him. He'd have to revise his opinion that Glen wasn't capable of critical thinking while in heat. The boy was sharper than he'd even guessed. So much potential crammed into that stunning form, and it made Gustav feel a bit ill to think of how much the world might hold Glen back from realizing it just because of his type.

"Well, I'm not getting anywhere sitting here," Glen huffed, gasping for breath again. He climbed out of the doctor's car and stumbled. "Shit..."

Gustav caught him in his arms without thought, and for a wild moment, their bodies were pressed tightly up against each other's. It was like that time in Egypt when the scaffold went down and Gustav tackled Glen to protect him. The connection was startling, and they stared at each other for a few moments.

Gustav's mouth went dry as he inadvertently breathed in through his nose and got a hefty dose of omega pheromones in the process. His heart pounded, and he held Glen more tightly. It took a monstrous amount of will power for him to pull away, and he kept his hands supportively around Glen's waist until the smaller male appeared to right himself.

"Are you sure you can drive?" Gustav asked, voice cracking slightly.

"Y-yeah," answered the equally flustered blond. He turned hastily toward his car and dug his keys out of his pocket. "It's not...too far."

Gustav tried not to stare the damp spot of slick on the back of Glen's jeans. He tore his gaze off of it, stopped allowing himself to keep imagining how easy it would be to slide his hands into Glen's pants, use his knowledge of omega anatomy and have the young man moaning and begging for more.

"I'll follow you home," decided the doctor after battling inwardly with himself. "To make sure you arrive safely."

A hint of relief manifested on Glen's features when he turned to regard him, and he nodded. "Thanks. That would really help."

Gustav made sure to roll all of his windows down and open the moon roof once he got into his car to follow the young man. He took a deep breath, tried to calm his racing pulse. That compelling scent was permeating his car now, and when he glanced at his passenger seat where the omega had been sitting, Gustav groaned. A damp spot was present on the dark gray seat, evidence left behind by the slick Glen had produced. Gustav wasn't worried about the upholstery getting stained by the clear fluid. It was the concentration of Glen's scent in that spot that troubled him.

It was a problem best served to be dealt with later. Right now, his main objective was to see his patient safely home.

* * *

Gustav didn't pull up behind Glen once they made it to his house. Instead, he waited by the curb until the young man made it to the front door. He nodded at Glen when the omega waved at him, and then he drove off. Glen watched his doctor drive away, heaved a sigh and then unlocked the door to let himself in.

He could hear his youngest brother talking away in the dining room, apparently telling their parents about his day at preschool while they had dinner. Even in his nagging condition, Glen managed a grin of amusement when Alex described the new hamster his teacher had introduced as the class pet that day.

"He's fluffy and his cheeks poof out like this sometimes..."

Glen closed the door softly behind him, taking a steadying breath as his knees threatened to give out. He needed to get to his bedroom fast and take the medicine Gustav had prescribed to him to take the edge off during his heats.

"Oi, Glen," Levi called, evidently spotting him as he tried to make a beeline for the hallway, "a 'hello' would be nice, brat."

"Hello," obliged Glen, sticking his head in through the dining room archway briefly. "Happy?"

"Why don't you sit down to some dinner?" invited Erwin. "I'm sure you've worked up an appetite, delivering all of that food today."

"Sorry Dad, but I'm not hungry," said Glen in a rush. "Hey Alex. I know I said I'd play with you tonight, but I'm really tired. We'll do it in a couple of days, okay?"

"But you were gonna show me how to draw a bunny!"

"I know," Glen sighed. "But right now, I can't even remember how to draw one myself. I need to go lay down."

Erwin immediately got up from the table and approached with a concerned look in his eyes. "Are you all right, imp?" He looked Glen over, sniffed the air and his concern changed to an expression of comprehension. "Oh. I see."

"What?" Alex demanded, too young to understand what Erwin had detected. "What do you see, Daddy?"

"Ah, it's nothing to worry about," Erwin responded quickly. "Your brother is just obviously exhausted from working all day. Let him rest, Alex."

Levi must have picked up on it too, and he provided distraction for the little boy by sternly reminding him to eat his peas. While Levi saw to Alexander, Erwin put a supportive arm around Glen and walked him to his bedroom.

"I thought you were home a bit early," whispered Erwin. "I'm glad you came right home. How bad is it this time?"

"Worse than the last, but not as bad as the ones I used to get," answered Glen, leaning into his dad's supportive embrace. His legs felt shaky and he was quietly grateful for Erwin's help. "It's about on time, too. I'm just not used to being able to keep track of it and I forgot I was due for another one."

"We have to be more diligent about that," suggested the alpha gently. "I'm sure you don't want _me_ monitoring it, but maybe you and your father can come up with a reminder system between the two of you so that you're less likely to be taken by surprise in the future."

"Maybe," agreed Glen.

They walked through his bedroom door together, and Erwin helped him ease down onto the bed. He took Glen's shoes and socks off for him when the omega plopped down onto his back with a tired gasp. Erwin didn't try to help him undress further out of respect for his privacy and modesty, but he adjusted the pillow beneath Glen's head and he retrieved his medication for him from the box kept on the overhead closet shelf. It was a combination lock box that Erwin had prudently bought for him to ensure that Alex couldn't get into it. All of the medications in the house were secured in such a manner; a practice they'd been keeping for as long as Glen could remember.

"Here," offered Erwin after getting two pills out from one of the bottles and offering them to Glen. "I'll go and fill up your drinking jug with ice water. Nothing happened before you could make it home, did it?"

Glen looked at his watchful alpha parent, and it pained him to lie to the man. He used to fib all the time to get away with things he knew he would get in trouble for, but this was different. In matters of personal safety, he'd never lied to either of his parents until he came of age. Now it seemed like he was hiding things left and right from them, and damned if Erwin didn't have some kind of fucking trouble radar built in that enabled him to sense when not all was well.

"I blew a tire on the way home," Glen told him, falling back on Gustav's suggestion. At least it was half the truth. "So I'll have to take it to get a replacement when I can."

"Oh? Did you hit something?"

Glen shook his head. "No. It just blew on me. Maybe there was a nail in it that I didn't notice or something. Anyway, I didn't crash or anything and the spare is on it for now."

"You changed a tire in your condition?" Erwin's brows went up, and he stroked Glen's hair in a paternal manner. "You should have called us."

"Dad, it isn't like it used to be," Glen reminded him. "My cycles don't go from zero to a hundred in five minutes anymore. It's a slower build up, so I have some time before it starts really hitting me now."

"Yes, but you were breathless and stumbling when you came in," reasoned Erwin. "Unless you procrastinated coming home until the last minute, or changing that tire wiped you out. Either way, I wish you'd have called. I don't like the thought of you being in heat and stranded on the road somewhere, even for a short time. Like it or not, you were vulnerable and you should have phoned either us or the insurance company for help, instead of changing the tire yourself."

Glen clenched his jaw. "You wouldn't be saying this if I was Kolby."

"Don't bet on it," countered Erwin in a harder tone of voice. "Alphas have ruts, and while they aren't quite the same and don't leave us in a physically weakened state, they do cripple concentration and impede judgment. If I found out that Kolby blew a tire while in rut and he didn't call someone for help, he would be getting the same talk I'm giving you."

That shocked some of the resentment out of Glen. He'd never thought of alphas as being vulnerable during their mating cycles, but now that Erwin brought it up, he was reminded of the times when Kolby had to take a sick day because his hormones were making him so impatient and agitated. It didn't happen as often and when it did, he seemed physically unhindered. The main thing Glen always noticed was Kolby's lack of usual concentration, increased sweating, restless pacing and a strong, musky smell he put off. Kolby also showered twice as much when he was in rut, and he cussed more often.

"Well," Glen said at last, mollified by Erwin's reasoning, "I didn't change it all by myself. I had help from this guy."

"What guy?" pressed Erwin, frowning.

Uh-oh. Protective mode was on full throttle again, and the last thing Glen wanted to do was accidentally sic his dad on his doctor.

"One of those road rangers," improvised Glen. He closed his eyes, convinced that if he made eye contact with his observant parent, Erwin would see right through the fib. "You know, the guys that patrol the highways and ramps for broken down cars? He saw me on the side of the road and pulled over to help. All I really did was get the spare out of the trunk. He did all the rest."

"Oh. Was this ranger an alpha?"

Glen opened one eye a slit. "Seriously, Dad?"

"I'm just asking."

Glen had the feeling that if he answered "yes" to that question, Erwin would use all of his resources to find out the names of every alpha road ranger that was on patrol in the area that day just so he could interrogate them.

"No. He was a beta. He didn't try to molest me, either. I sat in his truck while he changed the tire, and then I came straight home. Do you want to shine a light in my face now or are you done questioning me?"

It took Erwin a moment to answer. He looked frustrated, but his expression softened when he met Glen's stare. "Old habits can be hard to break, and I honestly don't think I'll ever stop looking out for you. Some day you may have a son of your own and if and when that happens, if he turns out to be an omega, maybe you'll be able to forgive my smothering moments."

"I already do," said Glen, feeling bad again. No matter how irritated he got at times with both his parents for being so protective, there was a certain comfort in knowing they'd come running if he was ever in trouble.

His clothing was starting to feel suffocating, and Glen's hair was getting damp with perspiration. He started panting again, and he pulled his comforter over himself to the waist self-consciously to disguise the state of his crotch. "Dad, can you bring me that water now? I'm getting too hot."

"Of course," answered Erwin readily. The mattress shifted as he got off the side of the bed, and he turned on the ceiling fan to provide more air circulation in the room for Glen. "Don't worry about the tire, son. I'll take it in tomorrow to get a replacement. I may even have all four replaced, seeing as they've taken extra wear and tear since you've started this driving work."

"You don't need to do that," Glen protested. "I can save up for it and get them done one at a time."

"I would rather see it done before they lose their tread than leave it for this to happen again," insisted Erwin. "If it would make you feel better, you can pay me back for them over time. Safety first, imp."

"Hmph. I guess that's okay. Thanks Dad."

* * *

"So what did he say?" Levi asked, joining Erwin in the kitchen while the alpha filled Glen's big 32 ounce hospital mug with ice. "You've got that look in your eye."

"What look?" Erwin filled the mug with the spring water dispenser bottle in the fridge.

"The look of one of those lion guardian statues people put at their front gate." Levi smirked at him. "The one you usually put on when you feel like me or one of the kids needs protecting. I can also feel it through the link."

Erwin glanced askew at him, and he smiled a little. "I didn't realize it was so obvious. It's nothing to worry about, really. Glen just told me that he also blew a tire on the way home. He's fine and so is the car, but I want to have the tires looked at tomorrow when I take it in to get the one that blew replaced. He may have run over something without realizing it in his distraction, but it's also possible that the tread is worn on all four of them."

Levi frowned. "Why the hell didn't he call someone?"

"He says a road ranger found him and helped him out," explained Erwin. "Let's not give him a hard time over it, love. He may not have considered calling anyone on account of his condition being a distraction for him. I've already had a talk with him about it and hopefully he'll handle it better in the future if something like this happens again."

Levi put some dishes away in the washing machine with a little grunt of acknowledgement. Right now any lecture he could give to Glen wasn't likely to sink in anyway. "Good call on the tires."

Erwin put the lid on Glen's mug, set it down on the counter and came up behind Levi. "You sound a little tired. Is it because you're worried about Glen?"

Levi shrugged, and he closed the dishwasher to set the cycle for it. "Not as much as I normally would be. He's doing a lot better. It's just..."

Erwin embraced him from behind and kissed him on his ear. "Just what, Levi? Tell me."

Levi sighed, resting his hands over the strong arms encircling him. "This house seems so quiet, these days."

"Well, we don't have as many people living in it," reminded Erwin.

"Yeah. You'd think I'd welcome the quiet. After all the years of stomping muddy feet, loud chatter and pointless yelling, I should be glad. Dylan's grown up and living on his own, Kolby hardly sleeps here anymore and he'll probably be the next one to move out. Glen's keeping himself so busy we only see him at dinner and in the mornings, and Alex is such a quiet kid compared to those three at his age."

"Yes, we have a lot more peace and quiet around here than we used to," agreed Erwin. "I'm surprised to hear you say that doesn't please you. Remember how much time you used to spend cleaning up after the twins and herding them into the bath after they came home from playing? I used to have to massage the tension from you ever night in the summer times because they were driving you up the wall."

"I know." Levi smirked again, and there was some nostalgia behind the expression. "I used to count the days until they'd outgrow all that and give me a break. Maybe I got used to it without realizing it, but it feels like it just ended so fast and I never really adjusted. Now they're grown up and the nugget can't compete with three people to fill that racket void."

Erwin rested his chin on the top of Levi's head, and he squeezed him gently. "No, Alex can't be expected to make nearly enough noise to fill his brothers' shoes. Levi, it sounds like you've got empty nest syndrome."

"Don't be ridiculous," scoffed the omega, even as he flushed at the truth of it. "We've more than earned some free time for ourselves and a break from the chaos of bringing up a house full of kids. Besides, we're both fixed and past our prime to be raising any more babies. With my luck, we'd end up with another set of twins. Don't even think about it."

"I wasn't going to suggest we get our procedures reversed and try for another baby," chuckled Erwin. "I'm satisfied with the ones we've already had, and I know we couldn't keep up with another one now."

"Good. Just making sure you aren't getting any crazy ideas."

Erwin's hands moved, sliding over Levi's abdomen and resting beneath his navel. "Just because we can't make another baby doesn't mean we can't enjoy the act of doing it and pretend a bit."

Intrigued, Levi tilted his head to the side, baring his neck to his mate's questing lips. "Mmm. I can agree with that. What brought this on all the sudden?"

"Someone suggested to me recently that intimacy is a great distraction, as well as an important part of bonding with your partner."

"Heh. Sounds like a smart person," teased Levi.

"He really is," agreed Erwin. "So, what do you say to taking that advice tonight? I'll lower the thermostat for Glen and bring him his water, you can get Alex ready for bed and then we can see about getting you 'pregnant'."

For some unfathomable reason, hearing Erwin say that he wanted to knock him up again—even though it was just for play—was hotter to Levi than dirty pillow talk. Maybe he was hitting a mid-life crisis and a part of him wanted to recapture his younger days, but Levi swore he got wet hearing Erwin say that.

"You couldn't have turned me on more if you said you wanted to fuck me senseless," breathed the omega truthfully.

"Papa?"

Levi's eyes popped open wide at the sound of their youngest child's inquiring voice breaking into the intimate conversation. He mouthed a curse, pulled out of Erwin's embrace and turned around to find Alex at the kitchen entrance, clutching the little tugboat in his hands that had become his favorite bath toy.

"What is it, kiddo?" Levi quietly hoped his son hadn't heard his softly uttered vulgarities to Erwin when he came in.

"You said it's bath time. I got Mister Toot ready."

Levi shot his husband an annoyed look when Erwin snorted with amusement. He knew he must have gone a shade or two paler when he realized Alex was in the kitchen, and Erwin always found it so funny when Levi had to put money in the swear jar as an example to the kids that profanities weren't okay. Fortunately it didn't happen very often any more now that they only had child to censor themselves around, but Levi still slipped up sometimes. Between him and Glen, that swear jar had filled enough times to buy Alex three toys so far.

"All right, go and get your jammies," Levi said, mildly relieved when the boy didn't mention hearing him drop the F-bomb. "I'll go and fill the tub up."

"Kay. Will you and Daddy read me a story tonight too? Glen was gonna do it..."

Levi exchanged a look with Erwin, and he nodded. "Yeah, we'll read you a bedtime story."

"Yay!"

Levi wasn't immune from his son's eager charm. He smiled subtly at him and gave a nod. "Go on, nugget. I'll meet you in the bathroom."

"Okay!"

Alex took off, and despite Levi's earlier feelings of nostalgia for the days when his home was filled with noisy kids, he was grateful that this one was so low maintenance and easily entertained.

* * *

Glen waited out his heat, inwardly terrified that it would go back to being the way it used to be and all the work he'd done with his doctors would be for nothing. This one was definitely stronger than the previous two, but it never climbed to the level where he felt he might need to be hospitalized. He soaked in cool baths, he took his meds to help him sleep at night and curb the urges, and he tried very, very hard not to think of Gustav, that cute guy that tipped him at the door or any other alpha males he found attractive.

Levi and Erwin were diligent as usual, bringing him ice water and popsicles during the day and soothing chamomile tea at night. Kolby came and stayed the night on the second day just to hang out with him, tell him the latest news about the happenings on campus and generally distract Glen from his discomfort.

It took three days for Glen's condition to ebb completely, though by the end of the second day he was feeling more like himself. Maybe interacting with his twin helped him. They did have a special connection after all. Glen supposed it was a little like a pair bond. Sometimes he could feel what his brother was feeling and vice-versa, and they'd always lent each other strength in times of need.

One other advantage of the bonds of blood was that alphas and omegas directly related to each other weren't affected by each others' pheromones. They could detect the scent just fine, but it didn't trigger mating urges. Glen took advantage of that to have Erwin confirm when he was no longer giving off a mating scent, and he made an appointment with Doctor Eklund for a post-heat checkup.

He had to brace himself for that, because while Glen's memory of what happened after the road rage incident when Gustav showed up was a little fuzzy. He knew his heat had spiked when the man arrived and basically came to his rescue. He thought he might have even come on to the doctor, but sometimes Glen had trouble recalling everything he did around some alphas when in that condition.

Hoping he hadn't made a complete fool of himself, the young omega took some time to armor himself for his checkup before leaving for the clinic.

* * *

"Good to see you're feeling better now," Dr. Eklund said in greeting after joining Glen in the examination room. He had his portable data pad in hand and was apparently looking over Glen's files. "I've already logged the approximate time and date of this latest cycle, according to what you told me when I last saw you. No need for me to ask you about that. You did make a note of it in your personal journal though, I hope?"

Glen nodded, trying to relax. Seated on the examination table with his legs dangling over the end of it, he found it all too tempting to kick his feet like an anxious child. "I've got that habit locked in now."

"Good." Gustav glanced up from the tablet in his hand, meeting the younger man's eyes. His gaze was professional, hinting nothing of his inner thoughts. "I do still need you to tell me when your symptoms reached highest peak, when they began to decline and when they ended, for the record."

Prepared for that question, Glen picked up his phone and checked the note he'd made. He gave the information to his doctor and then put the phone down, waiting nervously for Gustav to finish entering the new data. God, did the man have to be so fucking _handsome_? Glen found himself staring at the dimple in Gustav's chin, and his eyes eventually fixated on the alpha's throat and what could be seen of his collar bone.

Dr. Eklund's clothing and uniform covered up most of his body, but it wasn't hard for Glen to mentally undress him. He'd seen how toned Gustav's shoulders and back were when the man changed his tire. Glen presumed the guy worked out when his schedule allowed for it. He certainly wasn't letting himself go.

"What gym do you go to?" Glen asked impulsively, trying to distract himself from lingering uncertainty and heated attraction. He didn't dare bring up the subject of Gustav coming to his rescue. He still wasn't sure what all he might have said or did in those moments.

"Gym?" repeated Gustav. He smiled a little, and he adjusted the stethoscope draped over his neck. He fitted the earpieces in, gently thumped the drum to test it and approached the table. "I don't go to gyms. I find them too commercial and overly populated."

Glen sucked in a breath as the older man slipped the device beneath his shirt to listen to his heartbeat. It was chilly at first as always, but it soon warmed.

"H-how do you stay in such good shape, then?"

Gustav glanced up at his face for a moment, then lowered his gaze in concentration. "Please be still and don't talk. Just breathe normally."

Glen immediately contradicted the doctor's advice out of impulse, and he huffed. "I didn't think it was such a big deal to ask."

"It isn't," assured Gustav. He smiled again in his patient way. "Now be still and shush. To answer your question, I jog and do basic home exercises."

"Oh." Glen suddenly pictured Gustav shirtless and jogging in a pair of shorts, and he felt himself blush. He almost asked if he wanted some company on one of his jogs, but he mentally nudged himself and stayed quiet. One of the alpha's knuckles brushed against Glen's right nipple as he moved the stethoscope to a new location on his chest, and it pebbled and tingled. Glen bit his lip, thinking of how good it felt when someone played there, thinking that he definitely wouldn't stop the doctor if Gustav took some liberties and rubbed just a little bit.

_~Oh shit. I'm getting hard. Not now...not now!~_

Glen might as well have asked the wind to stop blowing. Despite the doctor's touch being completely professional, that little bit of contact made his crotch swell quickly. His face now on fire, the young man turned his head and stared at the wall.

If Gustav noticed the sudden bulge in Glen's pants, he didn't call attention to it. He monitored Glen's heartbeat, asked him to take a couple of deep breaths and then retreated from him. He then took Glen's body temperature and spoke to him as if it was just an ordinary day.

"Any dizziness after your symptoms faded?"

"No sir." Glen wouldn't look at him. He was afraid the man would see the naked longing in his eyes if he did.

"That's good. It seems you're on a predictable schedule now." Gustav tapped something into his data pad, and then he looked at Glen again. "Are you feeling okay?"

Glen suppressed a wince in response to that concerned look. He shrugged. "A little embarrassed, to be honest."

"Embarrassed?" Gustav put aside the tablet, and he took a seat on his stool. "Over what?"

Glen peeked at him through the veil of his bangs, hesitant. He couldn't detect any judgment in Gustav's eyes. If anything, they'd lost that opaqueness and seemed warmer on him. The mask of professionalism had dropped and there was a friendly kind of interest in the doctor's gaze.

"I...don't remember everything from that day," confessed Glen. "I mean, I remember calling you after that asshole ran me off the road. I remember panicking a little, but...then you showed up and it gets a little fuzzy."

He hopped off the table and combed his fingers through his hair, agitated and annoyed with himself. Glen paced the floor before coming to a stop at the window, and he stared out at the cityscape. "Look, I wasn't in my right mind, so I hope I didn't act like too much of a moron. It was really cool of you to have my back that way, and I think...did I? I'm not sure, but I think I came on to you."

He heard the creak of the stool and he felt Gustav's presence come up behind him. Glen didn't dare move, keeping his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"As you said," answered the doctor in a low voice, "you weren't yourself. You'd just been through a stressful experience and you were in the first stages of a heat. You shouldn't blame yourself."

"So I _did_ come onto you," Glen deduced out loud with a sigh. He finally turned around to face the other male, brows forked with tension. "You're just trying to be polite about it."

For a moment, Gustav appeared to struggle with himself. His gaze lowered and his expression became tense. It passed quickly though, and he met Glen's eyes again with a slow shake of the head.

"I'm not being polite, Glen. The circumstances were complicated, and I don't feel like you deliberately tried to tempt me. There _was_ a brief moment, yes, but to say you threw yourself at me would be ridiculous. You were vulnerable. I was there for you. What you most likely meant to be an expression of gratitude could have been mistaken for something else, but I didn't see it that way. You didn't do anything wrong."

Glen's pulse quickened. The way Gustav was looking at him right now...he'd seen that look on several other faces before. When the alpha reached out and hesitated with his hand hovering close to his face, Glen took initiative and cupped the back of it. The warmth of Gustav's palm against his cheek felt good. Not at all invasive or scary. Not insulting. Just...protective.

"You're a hell of a good guy," Glen stated. "I'm sorry to be such a pain in your ass."

"You aren't," Gustav said, voice quavering a little with suppressed amusement, "a pain in my ass, Glen. I'm actually flattered that you thought of calling me when you needed help."

Glen shrugged, smirking a little with renewed confidence. Gustav's palm was still resting against his cheek, and it made him feel stupidly secure. "I trust you. I mean, if it was any other alpha, they might have..." he trailed off with the ugly reminder of reality, and he frowned.

"They might have taken advantage," finished Gustav for him quietly. He withdrew his hand, and he sighed. "This is the world you face, unfortunately. Not everyone has scruples and while I have issues with the way society handles things, I understand why there are unfair expectations of your type."

Glen looked up at him, searching the doctor's eyes. "So you think it's okay for everyone to have these double standards?"

The doctor hesitated, seemed to think about his answer carefully before speaking. "I think it's natural for men to be protective of women, and for alphas to be protective of omegas. It's in our biology. Do I think it's right for people to be held to different standards based on their gender or type? No, I don't."

Glen relaxed. "That's what I figured. So unless something happens between now and then, I guess I'll see you next month?"

Gustav nodded. "Yes, we'll set up your next appointment. If you need me for any reason before then, just call."

Glen nodded, expecting the man to say something like that. He was still embarrassed, but he did feel better about it after talking to Gustav about his behavior. His reassurance that he didn't think any less of Glen for it or blame him made it easier for the omega to forgive himself.

* * *

-To be continued


End file.
